Author's Note: Guess what? Yes, this is a short chapter, but that's not all. There are only two chapters left to this story! Meaning, You'll get one tomorrow, and one on Thursday, and then you can agonize over how things will resolve in the sequel that was ALSO written almost a year or two ago. Read and review! And hopefully enjoy it.

Part X

Inside the Stellar Envoy alarms were blaring and outside lasers were flashing. "Nice going!" Ben shouted over the noise.

"Keep your comments to yourself!" Anakin shouted back. Another alarm went off.

"We're losing the deflector shield!" Ben said.

"Brace yourself." said Anakin. "We're going down." Ben did so without argument.

Obi-Wan listened to Jenna's ceaseless chatter as she worked on the Extractor and the datapad. Why do I even have to put up with this? he thought.

"According to my sources, you've built quite a career for yourself." she said as she worked on the wiring of the datapad. "An improvement on the boy who could not even sacrifice his master in the name of…" She paused, thinking.

"An organization run by a mad scientist that was already doomed to fail?" he suggested, his voice cracked. He had been hooked up to an IV, but desperately needed something to drink. Jenna stared coldly at him for a moment before breaking into her hate-filled smile.

"Ah, but I am determined not to let that happen again." she said cheerfully.

"But you will," Obi-Wan said softly. "Something as evil as this will certainly fail."

The door slid open and a group of guards walked in.

"The base is being evacuated." the captain said. "Gather your things." Jenna stared at him for a second.

"What?!" she cried. "I'm in the middle of…"

"The Count is waiting for you at the landing field." the guard interrupted. Two guards dragged Obi-Wan to his feet and two others picked up the Extractor. Jenna quickly gathered her instruments and followed.

"They're headed down." announced Ahsoka. Windu held tight to the controls.

"Well, let's follow them." he said, heading down toward the planet.

"But how will we follow them? The planet is huge!"

"Easy. We'll follow their smoke trail."

Ahsoka glanced out the window, then she leaned back in her seat. "Oh."

The guards dragged Obi-Wan out onto the landing field, toward Dooku's ship. Jenna pushed by them and planted herself in front of Dooku. "All right, Count," she spat out, "what's this about? Why the evacuation?"

Dooku glared at her. "The Jedi are attempting a rescue." Obi-Wan forced his head up and Jenna's mouth clamped shut. Before she could compose herself enough to answer, a smoking ship screamed overhead and crash-landed a short distance away.

"That would be them." Dooku said as the hatch popped open and two figures leapt out, green and blue lightsabers in hand. "On the ship now!" the Count ordered. Nobody needed to be told twice. Jenna rushed on board, followed by Dooku and the two with the Extractor. Obi-Wan fought as hard as he could. He struggled against the guards' arms, but was slowly pulled toward the ship. He couldn't make out the Jedi's features, but he didn't need to. It was Anakin and Ben, he knew it.

"Ben! Anakin!" he tried to shout, but it came out as a whisper. He reached for the Force, but it evaded his grasp. He had known they would have put a drug in the IV, but he still had to try. "Ben!" he croaked and struggled all the more. The grip on his arms didn't loosen. As the ship started to rise he was pulled inside and the hatch closed. He felt the ship lift off and blast towards open space.

TBC