Mustatfar was just as it had been in Gonk's bad dreams. It was a hot, lava filled planet, blazing with heat that made Gonk's joints feel oily. Gonk remember the heat of the suns on Tatooine. That had been nothing compared to this.
"Wait," Obi-Wan said, dropping a hand onto Gonk's flat top. "Let Padmé speak with him first."
Gonk didn't know if Obi-Wan was simply wasting time or if he truly wanted to give Anakin a chance to turn back to the light. If anyone could help him, it would either be Padmé or Obi-Wan. Considering Anakin had turned his back on the Jedi, Padmé was their best shot.
"Gonk," Gonk said. It was time Gonk came clean about the secret Gonk had been holding in.
"I know," Obi-Wan sighed. "I've know for quite some time. I suspect others on the Council knew also."
Gonk wanted to ask why no one had said anything about it to Anakin or Gonk, or why Anakin had been allowed to continue being a member of the Jedi Order. But Gonk didn't speak, for Gonk was too busy waiting to hear Anakin's voice.
Moments slipped by, then Obi-Wan nudged Gonk gently. They slipped out of their hiding spot and Gonk let Obi-Wan take the lead, heading down the ramp at a steady pace and not wanting to make Anakin panic due to their sudden appearance.
"Let her go, Anakin," Obi-Wan called at once.
Gonk stepped around Obi-Wan's nice boots to see what was happening. "Gonk!" Gonk said in surprise. Anakin was using the Force to choke Padmé!
"Let her go!" Obi-Wan said loudly again.
"You turned her against me!" Anakin cried, but he dropped his hand and allowed Padmé to hit the ground.
This wasn't the Anakin Gonk knew - not the friend Gonk had fought beside, trained and joked around with. Not the Anakin Gonk had grown to care for, the Anakin Gonk would have done anything for. This was a twisted and mean version and Gonk wanted him to go away!
"You have done that yourself," Obi-Wan answered.
Anakin threw his cloak to the ground. "You will not take her from me."
"Your anger and your lust for power have already done that."
Gonk shuffled between Gonk's feet and went to move forward, to join Obi-Wan at the bottom of the ramp, but Gonk caught sight of another dark figure in the background, someone Gonk knew shouldn't have been there.
DA-R7H. And the droid was carrying a red lightsaber.
No. Gonk thought. Not DA-R7H too.
The other droid grew closer, whizzing over the burning platform, weapon ready to strike. Gonk raised Gonk's own lightsaber and let the green blade come to life, scared for both Gonk's self and all of Gonk's friends.
"Gonk. Gonk!" Gonk said sadly as DA-R7H met Gonk on an unstable bridge.
DA-R7H whistled in response.
Gonk didn't want to believe what Gonk was hearing. DA-R7H had been working with Palpatine all along - working with the Emperor! The droid had known the evil plans, known what Palpatine had been up to, twisting Anakin into something he was not, taking advantage of him.
"Gonk?" Gonk asked. Why had DA-R7H not done what was right? Why had DA-R7H not told Gonk what was happening?
A whistle told Gonk DA-R7H's loyalties lay with the Chancellor, he who owned DA-R7H.
Gonk tried to tell DA-R7H that DA-R7H was a free droid, that DA-R7H had the will to do as DA-R7H pleased and to stand against those who were evil. But the other droid attacked, forcing Gonk to defend against the blazing red lightsaber.
They fought, moving from the bridge deeper into the volcano. Gonk did Gonk's best to try and stop their fight, but DA-R7H wouldn't allow Gonk the chance to speak. Gonk wanted to say so much, to tell DA-R7H that Gonk was happy to know Gonk wasn't the only droid who could use the Force, to tell DA-R7H that it wasn't too late.
At the end of a particularly rocky area, Gonk slipped, tumbling down a hill to the ground below. Lava raged in a river of red inches away and as Gonk struggled to flip the right way up. DA-R7H paused while DA-R7TH tried to find a way down which would not cause DA-R7H to get scratched.
A shadow fell over Gonk. Obi-Wan jumped overhead, landing on the upper side of the rock formation, opposite DA-R7H who was now whistling to Gonk. It seemed the other droid wanted to know if Gonk was okay.
Yet Gonk could not answer. Gonk was trapped in Gonk's nightmare again - only this time it was real.
"It's over, Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted. "I have the high ground!"
"You underestimate my power." Anakin, who was just behind Gonk on a piece of debris floating on the lava, prepared himself to lunge.
"Don't try it." Obi-Wan shook his head, desperately telling his former padawan to stand down.
"Gonk!" Gonk warned. Please don't, please don't!
Anakin jumped. He soured through the air and Obi-Wan's lightsaber flashed once, a clear and powerful blow.
Gonk's legs stopped kicking as Anakin rolled to a stop beside Gonk, his legs and last human arm missing. Obi-Wan was still above, face smeared with dirt and eyes rimmed with red. This was it, Gonk thought. The nightmare had come true.
DA-R7H flew to Gonk and knocked into Gonk's side. With a whistle, the droid dropped the lightsaber and started pushing Gonk back onto Gonk's feet, nudging Gonk helpfully.
This might have been the nightmare, but with some help, Gonk was sure Gonk could try to make things better.
"I hate you!" Anakin screamed.
Obi-Wan bent down to pick up Anakin's fallen lightsaber. "You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you," he said miserably.
"Gonk!" Back on Gonk's feet, Gonk hurried to Obi-Wan while DA-R7H sprayed the fire on Anakin, making it go out and stopping Anakin from getting badly burnt.
"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan said with a sniff. "Master Yoda said we had to destroy the Sith. Don't tell me you are turning against me too."
"Gonk, gonk, gonk."
"That's your plan?"
"Gonk." Gonk thought any plan was better than leaving Anakin, their close friend, to burn to death without his limbs on a terrible planet. Thankfully, Obi-Wan did so too and with Gonk's encouragement, he descended from the high ground.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan sighed as he reached down to pick up Anakin's leg.
YOU ARE READING
Gonk Force
Humor[STAR WARS AU] "NO MORE BAD FEELINGS." A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ... Turmoil has engulfed the GALATIC REPUBLIC. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute, the CLONE WARS have begun, and a dark power is risi...
