Pacem Silentium

Obi-Wan!

Anakin stared at Ophelia stunned. Ophelia had just spoken for the first time in years. It had been just below a whisper and had Anakin been any further away he would have missed it. His name rolled off her tongue so naturally that it only seemed right coming from her mouth. He was so shocked that she had spoken that he thought he was dreaming. Perhaps the grief of losing his mom was getting to him far before he had truly anticipated. 

Anakin's hands were still wrapped around her waist and he looked at her. "Did you jus-"

He was interrupted by beeping and whistling. Ophelia's head snapped to see Anakin's droid, R2D2 rolling up the dune. Ophelia rushed to the droid, leaving Anakin stunned at the events that had just happened. 

"R2, What are you doing here?" Ophelia signed.

The little droid beeped and whistled. 

"It seems that he is carrying a message from Obi-Wan Kenobi." Ophelia gasped at 3PO's statement. "Master Annie, does that name mean anything to you?"

Ophelia and Anakin looked at each other for a moment. So many questions raced between their eyes. Was Obi-Wan okay? Was he alive? Were they safe to return to Coruscant? There was fear, hope, sadness, anxiety, and countless other emotions coursing between the two as they ran back to the starship they had arrived on. 

The two jedi rushed the cockpit and started to play the message. A flickering image of Obi-Wan appeared and they watched the hologram Intently. 

"Anakin, my long range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Coruscant." Ophelia turned to the control board and pushed a button that allowed the message to transmit. "I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis. The Trade Federation is to take taking delivery of a droid army here, and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala."

Ophelia felt a semblance of relieve knowing who was attempting to kill Padme. She turned to the senator and reached out. They smiled at each other, knowing one piece of their seemingly unsolvable puzzle had been put into its proper place. 

"The commerce Guilds and Corporate Alliance have both pledged their Armies to Count Dooku and are forming an...Wait.... WAIT!!"

Ophelia watches in horror as Master Kenobi was attacked by Droidekas. She reached out to the hologram but it cut off. She looked up at Anakin who had rose from his position, clearly agitated and worried about his master. Suddenly a hologram appears with Mace Windu. It flickered as he spoke "Anakin, We will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you is to stay where you are. Protect the senator at all costs. That is your first priority. Ophelia, I need you to get to Geonosis as fast as you possibly can to help Master Kenobi."

The two jedi nodded and the hologram switched off. Padme stared curiously at the read out on the control panel. "They'll never get their in time, they have to come halfway across the galaxy."

"Ophelia is going. He will be fine."

"I do not feel equipped to fight an entire army, not to mention Count Dooku on my own." Ophelia signed.

"Geonosis is less than a parsec away." Padme exclaimed flicking swithches to start up the star cruiser. Anakin moved her hand to stop her. 

"If he is still alive." 

"Annie, are you just going to sit here and let him die??"

"You heard Master Windu. He gave me strict orders to stay here."

"He gave you strict orders to protect me." She wrenches hand from his grasp and flicks more switches. The engine fired. "I am going to save Obi-Wan. So if you plan to protect me, you will have to come along."