DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
Not even when she had cut the transmitter from her arm with a rusted knife had Callisto experienced such agony. A dull throbbing pounded through her skull and her back was ablaze with fire. But she did not cry and she did not think to give up or seek help. She was Callisto Lin, the name she had given to herself years ago while bouncing from one home and ownership to another. Her namesake and life was her own.
And she did not take kindly to threats against them. This was twice the black clad man had come into her territory unannounced and with violence. He had slain an associate of hers and had threatened the life of Shmi. Odome she could deal without since he had been nothing but a pain and inconvenience throughout the whole time they had known each other, but hat did not excuse killing him. What made her angry was his attempted assassination of Shmi. What did she have to do with any of that and for that matter, what did Callisto? After the initial encounter, she understood that she had been a hindrance in his mission, but now she was slightly confused...and angry. Oh, how she was angry. He had now invaded her sanctum, her private space. Strangely though, he had made no move to kill her, only to restrain and immobilize. Given the evidence, that was odd. Given the rest of it, it grew more and more strange. How had he found her so easily? Not very many people knew about her or where she went, and fewer people still cared. The Naboo Queen knew, but she seriously doubted that she had anything to do with it. the same went for the chancellor, although she didn't trust either. People that high in a society knew very little about what it was like to be a person like Callisto, but that didn't mean she wouldn't look into their affairs, hopefully without any of them knowing.
She moved down the list. The Jedi knew where she was, most of the immediate involved Jedi parties knew and had a vested interest in what she knew about that... Sith? had that been the word? She would have to investigate that personally since she was now intimately involved. She sighed inwardly. How she hated to get involved. Such things only caused more pain and more suffering to her and in this life time, she had already had more than enough. She wanted no more. She had half a mind to disappear right then and there, but that would be wrong. She couldn't leave, not like that. Ani would worry, and so would the goofy haired Jedi she suspected. Plus, if they could do anything about the tattooed man or if she could help to do anything, she wanted in. He had made it all very personal now. It's not wise to make things personal with Callisto.
She pulled her head up off the freeing metal, uttering a guttural cry. It hurt, everything hurt so much! All she wanted to do was to lay back down again, hoping that would alleviate the pain. she wanted to close her eyes and give into the defeat the cells of her body were screaming out to her brain. No, she couldn't do that. She had to get out of there. She had to live. She hadn't come this far to go down so easily.
anyhow, if she was to do anything about this situation, she would first have to get to safety. Sitting atop a transport without knowing the immediate destination was not wise. For all she knew, this thing could rocket up into space at any moment. That would be a very unpleasant surprise.
The ship moved closer to one of those massive sky scrapers which littered the city-planet's landscape.
"Here goes nothing," Callisto said to the wind. Then, with much effort, she leapt up while the ship raced closely next to the building and grasped tightly at a poll and dangled hundreds of feet below the surface.
"One problem solved. now, how to get in..."
Captain Panaka vaguely wondered if there was such a thing as reincarnation. He wondered if perhaps he had been some terrible person in a past life and this was some sort of compensation for a life of misdeeds. Why else would the Queen be putting him in such unhappy positions?
He strode purposefully down the hall of the apartment complex in which higher Naboo administration had arranged for the young woman... Callisto her name was. He already imagined what her response would be to his checking up on her. Either no answer or a slammed door to the face. From the brief encounters he had seen involving her, he gathered that she was not the most polite of people. He wanted very little to have to do with that kind of person.
The Queen's reaction was different. He could tell that the Queen felt no pity for her, but an odd sort of sympathy and affection.
"She's led a hard life, Captain. That much is obvious. Given what that planet is like, most of the people she has had to deal with have been cruel so of course she would be mistrustful," Amidala had said.
"I understand that, your Majesty, but how long must we...."
"As long as she wished out company," Amidala had interrupted. "Chancellor, where is the place you have arranged for her to stay?"
"It is the residence complex near the Senate building. I'm sure she finds the surroundings a nice change of pace. I've seen to it that she will be...well taken care of," Palpatine's response had been.
"Captain, please pay her a visit and ask her if there is anything she requires," the Queen had ordered.
"Your Highness, is that wise at this moment?" Palpatine said hastily. "She has had a long trip and as I understand it has suffered some injuries. She might be resting and might take offense to the intrusion."
"I understand that, Chancellor, but I want her to feel at home."
Panaka could tell right from there that the Queen liked this woman, for whatever reason. He had taken his leave after that to go see Callisto.
At that moment, he was walking up the hall to the address he had been given. Hmm, odd, her door was wide open...
He peeked his head in. "Callisto?"
There was no answer. The lights were off and a cold breeze was seeping in from somewhere. This was not a good sign. Panaka had always been one to go with his first instinct, so he opened the door slowly, blaster in hand, expecting the worst.
He found the worst had already come. things had been knocked over, a window was open, and there on the floor was the smoking remains of a gun. There had been a fight here, not very long ago. The fresh smell of ozone still hung in the air.
He flipped on the lights, moving from room to room, looking for Callisto or whoever had been in here, but there was no one.
Fearing the worst, he left quickly to find the Queen.
"Missing?" Amidala said incredulously. "What..." she trailed off.
"There appeared to have some sort of struggle, your Majesty. I could find no trace of her or anyone else. It couldn't have been that long ago, everything just felt too fresh."
"I'm sure she'll turn up soon, my Queen," Palpatine said confidently. "She did not strike me as one to remain unnoticed for long."
"That may very well be," Amidala said, her voice hard. "But that does not mean I have to sit and wait. Captain, find the Jedi and tell them what you have found. There may be a connection of some sorts."
Panaka nodded once and backed out the door.
She was sleeping. Qui-Gon didn't dare wake her. Never in his entire life, on any travel or from any vision had he ever seen before him such an image of perfect serenity. The gentle rise and fall of her chest with each breath filled him with a such a calm. It was one of those moments he wished he had the power to freeze time so he could forever revel in that moment.
But such happy things were always short lived. He was not surprised to here the chime of the door. Fortunately, the sound didn't awaken Shmi. She still lay there, wisps of dark hair resting atop her quiet features. Carefully, she slid her head off his broad shoulders and got up, but not before pulling an afghan across her. Anakin was often cold after having lived on Tatooine for so long and he suspected she felt the same.
He pulled his cloak back on and went to the door. There in front of him was Obi-Wan, his face ashen with worry.
"Something had happened, Master," Obi-Wan said.
"Obi-Wan, I told you that title is..."
"Callisto is missing."
Qui-Gon brought his lip down to a thin line. He pulled his former apprentice out into the hall, shutting the door behind him as to not wake Shmi.
"What?" he asked, this time louder.
"Captain Panaka had gone to her temporary residence and found the place ransacked. The remains of her gun was found and the back door and window opened. She was no where to be found."
Qui-Gon could hear the frantic tone in his former apprentice's voice.
"She is alive, Obi-Wan. Of this I am quite certain."
"But how can you know that? She had already been hurt quite badly. Damn it, I had just BEEN there. As I left I could sense something. I KNEW something was wrong, but I didn't think. I just didn't think to go back and make sure she was all right. There was no way she could have fought anything in the condition she was in. I just should have been there. If she...I... I will never forgive myself if she's..."
"She is alive. We will find her. She will be fine," Qui-Gon said calmly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder to steady the younger man. He exhaled loudly and shook his head. There was never a moment of peace. "How long ago was this?"
"Panaka came to me about an hour ago. I went to your quarters, but I was told you were here. Whose place is...this... Oh," Obi-Wan said, slowly realizing what he already knew.
Qui-Gon felt his face flush. No need to explain anything now, there are more pressing matters.
"They don't know who it was," Obi-Wan said, desperate to bring the subject away from his OTHER suspicions, "but I think we both know who was responsible."
"This is most disturbing, Obi-Wan. I was afraid that she would become a target, but I did not think so soon."
"Is it because of her protection of Shmi?"
"Possibly, but it is not sitting well with me. There is something else going on here, something that I can't quite touch on. We must find her and get to the bottom of this quickly. I do not know where it is leading."
Obi-Wan nodded and followed Qui-Gon as he moved down the hall, letting a guard stand over the door in watch in his stead, out into the cold night. He paused once, watching Qui-Gon as he walked ahead and shook his head. He...He really didn't want to think of the man he had known as almost his only family...that way.
This was the second time he was going before his master in failure. Darth Maul did not like the pattern he had evidently had formed and knew without even having to think about it, that Sidious would be most displeased with him. The mere thought of it sent a rippling shiver up his spine.
Strange that he still felt such fear. By now he had supposed he had mastered it to the point that he could wield it as well as a sword. Apparently, he had yet to completely master it all, which was why he was still the apprentice and not the master.
For the time being at least.
The Sith were patient. it was a virtue he still struggled with. His predecessors were adept in the art of patience, having waited thousands of years for cracks to form in the Jedi that they could pounce on and claim revenge, always keeping a keen eye out for that perfect moment.
Sidious had found it through politics, taking up the guise of a politician and seizing control of the government, a move the Jedi would never have foreseen. The thought of the wool being so completely pulled over their eyes sent a delicious fire through Maul's chest. All of them had been so cleverly tricked that it almost took his breath away. Poor Trade Federation. they had been so completely used and had absolutely no alibi. Of course if they were to finger the Sith, it would mean immediate death to whatever fool dared to betray them.
Maul hoped that death was not in his future. Three missions he had failed. First, the Jedi had escaped him, then the slave woman, and now this impetuous red haired creature. The first one had been a difficult task and easily excused. the second two were a definite embarrassment. How could he had let victory slid through his fingers so easily? Of course, on Tatooine this last time, the Jedi had sown himself again in interference, but just now? She had completely escaped him. At least she had suffered somewhat for not cooperating. Given her physical condition now, he doubted she would be much of a match for anything next time.
Gods, he hoped there was a next time.
Sidious entered the room. Again, Maul knelt before him in shame. He really wished he hadn't have moved down so quickly. The kick Callisto had given him sent a fire through him that was most unpleasant.
"Arise, my apprentice," Sidious ordered, his voice smooth and calm.
Maul gladly got up, this time slowly to avoid an unnecessary discomfort.
"I have failed you, my master. She escaped me."
Beneath his cowl, a cold smile spread across Sidious' face. "Yes, I know. I am not angry with you Maul. Remember, I commanded you to attempt to bring her before me. If she escaped, then it was a test of her abilities. Most impressive that one so untrained could elude a Sith."
Maul told the story from start to the end where she allowed herself to drop several feet down onto a transport.
"There was no time for me to get to my own transport. She was gone to quickly," Maul said.
"Yes, I would imagine so. Interesting how she managed to escape in that fashion. It was an awful risk for her to fall like that. Either she knew what she was doing or she did not fear death. Perhaps it was both. A very pleasing combination in an asset, is it not?" Sidious said.
"Yes, Master. But I am not sure she will come willingly. Her anger is strong, but it is becoming directed at us."
"You have much to learn still, Lord Maul. She will come to us, sooner than you think. Until then, there are other things which must be dealt with. An opportunity had shown itself to me and it must be taken. This time, extreme caution must be taken. this requires both of us, Mau, if we are successful, victory will come sooner than expected."
Maul did not bother to mask the growing smile.