C3P2

"I can't believe this is happening!" Growled Anakin, scowling at his plate of mash as though it had done him a great offense. "Just because of one crazy admiral, the whole Senate's slapped this on us!"

"I know what you're saying, Anakin," said Obiwan dejectedly, poking at his own plate suspiciously with a spoon. "But orders are orders."

"But needing permission to launch orbital strikes from Sector Command?" Demanded the younger Jedi in outrage, "By the time they reply, we'll all be massacred!"

"I don't like it any more than you do, my friend," he sighed, pushing away his plate, "But we haven't got a choice. All the other Senators are worried their worlds would be subjected to the same treatment to prevent an overwhelming Separatist victory."

Anakin didn't reply, but Obi-Wan knew exactly what the young man was feeling. It wasn't about the restrictions that had been passed through the Senate that bothered him, but it was the fact one of the major proponents of them was none other than Padme Amidala, one of the few people he was close to.

He stroked his beard absentmindedly, musing on the relationship between the two.

And Anakin, being the rash hotheaded boy he was, no doubt felt some kind of betrayal.

"You know, it isn't really Padme's fault," said Obi-Wan with a pointed look at his partner. Anakin's expression of surliness melted away into something resembling embarrassment.

"I know, Obi-Wan," he muttered, looking away.

Kenobi hid a grin, "But if you're looking to talk to her-"

It was, at that point, both their comlinks chirped. Kenobi smiled and glanced toward the Jedi Knight, "Well, speak of the devil. A Senator has arrived on Kamino on a surprise inspection of the premises."

"Sending a Senator all way to Wild Space?" Scoffed Anakin in disgust. "It's obvious they don't trust the Kaminoans to enforce the new rules."

"So it would seem," agreed Kenobi as he got up. He glanced towards his apprentice, "Shall we?"

"Lets go, I want to have a little chat with the Senator," growled Anakin, brushing past Obi-Wan. Behind him, the Jedi Knight chuckled and followed.

-

"You did that on purpose," said Anakin, giving his friend a hurt expression as he sat at the small conference table.

Obi-Wan didn't hide his grin this time, slapping the younger man on the shoulder as he sat down next to him. "Well, you seemed so eager to air your complaints to the good Senator, I didn't quite have it in me to ruin the surprise."

"Sorry, Anakin," said Padme, smiling gently as she accepted a cup of caf from Prime Minister Lama Su. "I asked Obi-Wan not to tell you I was coming. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Oh really funny," muttered the Jedi with a mock-sullen expression. Eventually, he cracked a smile. "Okay, maybe that was a little funny. I was just being-"

"Pigheaded," said Padme and Obi-Wan at the same time, grinning.

"Fine, fine," replied the younger Jedi, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll keep an open mind from now on."

"See that you do, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, his expression turning serious. "The new rules apply to Jedi as well, especially ourselves. For the duration of this war, we're part of the military, and thus we cannot be exempt."

"But these new rules are already slowing down our forces," Anakin shot back, glancing at Senator Amidala with an apologetic expression. "Clone casualties have gone up almost twenty percent a week after the restrictions were signed in."

"The clones have also been expressing their resentment of the new rules," said Prime Minister Lama Su. The Kaminoan had been content to watch the Jedi and the Senator make small talk, but once the conversation became relevant, he found it necessary to voice his own concerns. "They feel the new restrictions on orbital support is limiting their ability to fight the war effectively. This sentiment is shared amongst the entire clone army."

Eyes turned to the lone Senator in the room.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, I'm afraid," said Padme soberly. "Senator Mothma of Chandrila managed to push the reduce military spending bill. Clone production is to be cut in half, starting in three months' time."

"Congratulations Senator," muttered Lama Su bitterly.

"On the contrary," the young senator shot back, "While it limits business with Kamino, my faction wants to see the end of this war. Spending more money on this war would effectively bankrupt the Republic in less than a decade. Continuing this war may well end the Republic as much as losing the war."

"Enough!" Shouted Obi-Wan, intervening between the two with raised hands. He gave both the Kaminoan and the Naboo Senator sympathetic looks but shook his head as he palmed his face tiredly. "I think it might be best we change the subject. Senator, we believe there is an impending Separatist attack on Kamino."

"What evidence do you have for this?�� Asked Padme, carefully. "They wouldn't dare, not with the blockade in orbit. They'd need a large fleet just to contend with that, and a build-up of that magnitude would catch Republic Intelligence's eye."

Wordlessly, Anakin placed a holopad in the center of the table and tapped it with a finger.

Instantly, the circular pad glowed and projected an image of the a dathomarian woman in a cloak and the familiar monstrous form of General Grievous.

"The Clone Planet of Kamino is a dangerous target," hissed Ventress.

"Just make sure you hold up your half of the mission. We must end the production of new clones, if we want to end this war," snapped the cyborg general.

"Don't you worry, Grievous. My commander will see to it that the Republic's defenses are destroyed, paving the way to the all-out invasion of Tipoca City."

"Your commander is an incompetent droid," growled Grievous angrily, pacing like a restless animal. "I guarantee that his leadership will spell the doom of this operation!"

"General, as a competent droid commander, my dear Toy General is certainly more competent than you! He'll perform admirably," purred the Sith Assassin. "I will take note of your protest and be sure to rub it in your face after we have taken Kamino."

"Bah!" With a final sneer, Grievous' hologram disappeared. Moments later, Ventress did also as well.

"We intercepted this transmission several hours ago," explained Anakin as he picked up the holopad. "Encryption was heavy, but we managed to decrypt it in time. We called for reinforcements, but with the new restrictions, they'll take days just to get permission to begin moving."

"I see," nodded Padme, she turned to Lama Su, "I need to speak to the Security Committee. I'll see about pulling some strings to speed things along. I don't like this war and what it brings, but I won't see your world suffer for it."

"Follow me Senator," said the kaminoan prime minister, inclining his head slightly, expression softening.

"Well, what do we do now?" Asked Anakin, as the two left.

"The only thing we can do," said the other Jedi with a sigh as he folded his arms. "We wait."

"And hope to hell the Force is with us when the Separatists arrive to take Kamino."