Star Wars_ The Dark Lord Trilogy - James Luceno [8]
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. “Master of understatement.”
“General Kenobi,” the comm spec said from across the grotto. “Provincial recon reports that Viceroy Gunray and his entourage are heading for the launching bays. They’re protected by super battle droids, a group of which are now closing on our position.”
Anakin swung to Obi-Wan. “One of us has to divert the droids.”
“One of us,” Obi-Wan repeated. “Haven’t we been through this before?”
“The beauty of our partnership, Master. You lure the bodyguards away, I capture Gunray. It hasn’t failed us yet, has it?”
Obi-Wan compressed his lips. “From a certain point of view, Anakin.”
Anakin scowled. “Fine. Then I’ll be the bait this time.”
“That makes no sense,” Obi-Wan said quickly, shaking his head. “We play to our separate strengths.”
Anakin couldn’t restrain a smile. “I knew you’d listen to reason, Master.” He singled out four commandos. “You’ll come with me.”
“Sir!” they said in unison.
Obi-Wan, Cody, and the rest of Squad Seven set out for the turbolift shafts. Obi-Wan hadn’t gone five meters when he stopped and swung around.
“Anakin, I know we’ve got a score to settle with Gunray, but don’t make it personal. We want to take him alive!”
Oh, but it is personal, Anakin told himself while he watched Obi-Wan, Cody, and four troopers disappear into the turbolift.
It was personal because of what Nute Gunray had done to Naboo thirteen years ago.
It was personal because of Gunray’s hiring of Jango Fett to assassinate Padmé three years ago—first with a bomb planted on her ship, then with the pair of kouhuns a changling had inserted into Padmé’s Senatorial quarters on Coruscant.
The woman Anakin loved above all else. His wife. The deepest though brightest of his secrets. Even Obi-Wan didn’t know, for that would have created problems.
Finally, it was personal because of all that had occurred on Geonosis: the mock trial, the sentencing, the executions that were to have taken place in the arena …
Even if he could put all that aside, as Obi-Wan plainly wanted him to do, it was personal because Gunray had aligned himself with Dooku and the Separatists, and the war they had planned from the start had brought ruin to a thousand worlds.
The deaths of the Separatist leaders was the only solution now. It had always been the solution, despite objections by certain members of the Jedi Council, who still believed in peaceful resolutions. Despite the Senate’s attempts to bind the hands of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, so that corrupt politicians could continue to turn a profit. Line the pockets of their shimmersilk cloaks with kickbacks from the immoral corporations that funded the war machine. Supplying both sides with weapons, ships, whatever was needed to extend the conflict.
It made Anakin’s blood boil.
Yes, just as Yoda had sensed after Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan had freed him from slavery on Tatooine and brought him to the Jedi Temple, he had a lot of anger in him. But what Yoda failed to realize was that anger could be a kind of fuel. In peaceful times Anakin might have been able to bridle his rage, but now he relied on it to drive him forward, to transform him into the person he needed to be.
Cut off the head.
Twice he might have been able to kill Dooku himself had Obi-Wan not held him back. But he didn’t hold that against his former Master. For all his skills, Anakin still looked to Obi-Wan for guidance.
On occasion.
As he and the four troopers were exiting the grotto, the tip of his boot sent some object skittering across the floor. On the fly he used the Force to call the thing to his left hand and realized that it was Obi-Wan’s rebreather, which must have fallen from its utility pouch during the brief exchange with the unseen battle droids. But no matter; Obi-Wan was probably already in the lower levels of the redoubt, where there would be little need for the device.
Opening one of the pouches on his belt, Anakin wedged the rebreather inside.
He urged the troopers on, and they stayed close on his heels.
Upward: following burrows, ramps,