The White Phoenix

Part 28

"Master!" a voice calls as they shake my shoulder. "Hmmm, what happened?" I mumble regaining my consciousness. "We need to get Chancellor Palpatine out of here." Anakin says picking up Obi-wan. 

I pull myself to my feet and look around noticing Dooku's decapitated body on the floor. "Let's go!" Anakin yells as he and Palpatine make their way to the elevator. "He's dead, Master. You don't have to fear him any longer." Anakin states calmly. "I didn't fear him. I feared what happened to me. There's a difference." I state crossing my arms. 

"The elevator's not working, R2 . . ." Anakin says before grabbing the comlink. ". . . Activate Elevator 3224." Anakin continues. Suddenly the ship shifts to its side as the elevator doors open and we are thrown to the side while Anakin jumps to the door frame of the elevator looking into the elevator shaft.

"R2 ... do you copy? R2, come in!" Anakin says again. "I have a bad feeling about this." I mumble to myself. As the elevator shaft rotates, it becomes a long hallway. Anakin clings to the door frame with Obi-wan on his back and the Chancellor attempting to join him.

As we stand in the elevator shaft, it begins to move upright once more. Anakin cuts a control box on one of the doors, but before the doors can open, the ship moves to an angle, causing us all to fall over. Anakin grabs some wires in the control box with one hand and Palpatine grabs onto my leg as I hold onto the edge of the shaft. As the ship rights itself, we are left hanging in the bottomless elevator shaft.

As my fingers begin slipping, Obi-wan regains consciousness. I laugh a little at the was Obi-wan clings to his apprentice after noticing the situation. "Easy. . . . We're in a bit of a situation." Anakin explains. "Did I miss something?" Obi asks confused. "You could say that." I reply through gritted teeth.

We hear R2 beeping on Obi-Wan's comlink as the ship begins to roll, causing the vertical shaft to move into a forty-five-degree angle. We hear the elevator brakes release and look up to see the elevator heading toward the four of us.

"Hold on." Anakin huffs. "What is that?" Obi-wan asks as we watch the elevator speed toward us.
"Oops." Obi-wan says. "R2, R2, shut down the elevator!" Anakin pleads into the comlink. "Too late! Jump!" I state relieving my hands of the elevator shaft. 

Anakin and Obi-wan take out and throw grappling hooks to catch as we continue to fall. All the doors in the elevator shaft open up, and Obi-wan grabs me and swings through the open door into a hallway. As I hit the wall at a high speed, the elevator shaft races past the entrance.

"Must you two always beat me up?" I huff looking at the blood across my arm. "My apologies." Obi-wan says pulling me to my feet as Anakin helps Palpatine. "Let's see if we can find anything in the hanger that's still flyable." Obi-wan says as we begin to move again.

It is extremely windy as bits and pieces are continually sucked into space. The hangar bay doors are closed, but great stresses are being exerted as the ship twists, re-entering the atmosphere of Coruscant. We stop in a doorway leading into the hangar bay.

"None of those ships will get us anywhere." I sigh shaking my head. "I agree." Anakin mutters. "What are we going to do?" Palpatine questions confused. "I don't know." Anakin sighs in response. "Don't look at me. I don't know." Obi-wan says as the three men then turn to me. "Head for the bridge and find an escape pod?" I suggest earning a nod from the three.

We run down a hallway before ray shields drop around us, putting the four of us in an electronic box in the middle of the hallway. "Ray shields!" Anakin exclaims. "Yes Anakin, ray shields!" I reply with a sarcastic grin. 

Obi-wan takes a deep breath expressing his total disappointment in how the mission is going. "Wait a minute, how'd this happen! We're smarter than this." he exclaims. "Apparently not." I reply. "This is the oldest trap in the book . . . Well ... I was distracted." Anakin states.

"Oh, so all of a sudden it's my fault." Obi-wan questions. "You're the Master. I'm just a hero." Anakin replies with a grin. "I'm open to suggestions here." I state gaining their attention. "Why don't we let them take us to General Grievous. Perhaps with Count Dooku's demise, we can negotiate our release." Palpatine asks curiously.

I look to Obi-wan in disbelief. "I say... patience." Anakin offers. "Patience? That's your plan?" Obi-wan asks in confusion. "Yes, R2 will be along in a few moments and he'll release the ray shields." Anakin replies confidently.

In a matter of seconds R2 comes skidding across the hallway and bashes into the opposite wall.  "See! No problem." Anakin grins as I look at him nervously.

Suddenly several doorways open, revealing several droids. R2 tries to zap one only to be knocked over instead. "Do you have another idea?" I ask hopefully. "Unfortunately I have no ideas for once." Anakin replies. "That's quiet the shocker." I reply with a sigh.

"Drop your weapons." a droid states before taking our sabers and leading us away as hostages.