A/N: It's been a trying few weeks, but I finally have a new chapter for you. Enjoy! :)
Chapter 21 - The Battle to End the War Before It Begins
Anakin and Obi-wan kept a tight hold on the cables as their battleship twisted and turned as the pilot evaded the blaster fire from the escort ships. As they rounded some cliffs, they saw Dooku's speeder disappear into a large hole on the cliffside.
"Set us down," Obi-wan pointed to the jagged flat edge on the cliffside.
The pilot complied and held the ship steady by the ledge. Anakin ignited his lightsaber and jumped off the battleship, close on Obi-wan's heels. As they made their way further into the cliffside, it became apparent this was a secret hangar. They had to stop Dooku before he escaped! They rounded a corner into a high-ceiling cavern, where Dooku was calmly conversing with the Federation Viceroy and his lieutenant. His cape swished as he turned around at their approach. The Neimoidians muttered to each other with panic before quickly retreating onto an awaiting starship off to the side.
"You're going to pay for all the Jedi you killed today, Dooku," Anakin promised. And for hurting Voraté. He moved slowly to block Dooku's route to his escape ship.
"We'll take him together," Obi-wan directed. "Go in slowly on the left."
Anakin wanted to charge in immediately. His emotions were barely under control and demanding that he wreak justice on Dooku. But they only had one chance to capture Dooku and Anakin refused to jeopardize that. He moved to the left and slowly advanced on Dooku. Obi-wan followed him forward, raising his lightsaber.
Dooku smiled dangerously and raised his hand. Anakin was unprepared for the streak of blue lightning that hurtled from Dooku's fingertips. He screamed in agony as the concentrated energy hit him and he thudded back into a wall and slumped to the ground. Every nerve ending hurt, blocking out his awareness of his surroundings. He breathed hard, trying to overcome the pain. He needed to get back in the fight. Obi-wan needed him!
Obi-wan swallowed hard as his apprentice was knocked to the ground. Dooku was obviously more powerful than either of them had anticipated. He needed to be extremely careful battling this man.
"As you see, my powers are far beyond yours or your apprentice's," Dooku said smugly. "Now, stand down." He aimed another beam of Force-lightning at Obi-wan.
Obi-wan caught it with his lightsaber, letting his weapon dissipate the lightning. "That won't work on me."
"Then this contest must be decided by our skills with a lightsaber." Dooku chuckled and brought out his lightsaber and ignited it, revealing a red beam. He gave a formal salute with the saber.
Obi-wan extended his senses and advanced on Dooku. He tamped down his emotions and let the Force guide his movements. Dooku effortlessly moved his lightsaber in quick flashes to block his attacks. The former Jedi was faster than he expected and a better swordsman. Obi-wan changed up his technique, opting to dart in and out of range of Dooku's calculated strikes.
"Master Kenobi, you disappoint me," An amused grin crept onto Dooku's lips. "I expected so much more." He lunged forward.
Obi-wan blocked the blows and danced out of reach.
"Surely, you can do better?" Dooku goaded him.
Obi-wan refused to rise to the bait and continued his attack on Dooku. He opened himself up to the Force more, trying to predict the man's movements. New energy filled him and he twirled around Dooku faster, blocking attacks and striking at his weak spots. Dooku parried his attacks effortlessly, seeming to grow stronger and move faster as their battle progressed. Anakin moaned slightly in the corner where he'd fallen, having somewhat recovered from being hit with Force-lightning.
Obi-wan's Kyber crystal screamed out a warning as Dooku swung his lightsaber in a flurry of movements. He managed to block the strikes aimed at his head and torso, but then Dooku knocked his hands upwards. His lightsaber flew out of his hands and landed near the entrance archway. Obi-wan had no time to do anything as Dooku thrust his lightsaber deep into his stomach. Obi-wan grunted in pain as the shock from having the white-hot lightsaber in his torso overrode every thought and action he could have made. He looked up at Dooku as spots dotted his vision.
"I'm sorry, Obi-wan," Dooku said convivially. A yellow glint flickered across his eyes for a moment. "You should have joined me when you had the chance." He turned off his lightsaber and stepped away.
Obi-wan slumped to the floor, fighting to stay conscious.
"NO!" Anakin's fear-filled voice echoed around the chamber. Obi-wan dimly thought that sounded horribly familiar. His Kyber crystal echoed his Padawan's cry of anguish, making all of them cringe and clutch their heads.
The hum of lightsabers clashing filled the air. Obi-wan forced his eyes open to see Dooku fending off Anakin's attacks. When had his Padawan gotten so good? He fought to keep his eyes open as the pain from the fatal wound threatened to overwhelm him and push him into unconsciousness. The sound of an explosion came from beyond the entryway and Obi-wan looked up as tiny footsteps pattered towards them.
"Voraté, wake up!"
Voraté twisted her head in irritation and knocked away the hand slapping at her cheek. Why was someone interrupting her sleep? She barely got enough of it as it was. Memory washed over her. She was on Geonosis… battling the Separatists' droid army… and she'd been blasted off a clone trooper ship! Her eyes flickered open and she shot up into a sitting position. She made a small noise of pain as her sudden movements aggravated the wounds on her back. She rubbed at her head, soothing the small lump she felt there and pushing back the headache she felt coming on.
"Careful, sister. It looks like you had a hard tumble. Are you alright?" The voice asked with concern.
Voraté looked to her right and smiled with joy. "Sabé!"
"It's good to see you again, Voraté." Sabé grinned back at her, her brown eyes twinkling.
Her thick brown hair was pulled back in a braided ponytail and her crown of blunt beige horns peeked out from her hair. She was dressed in a black tunic overlaid with shiny jet-black leather, a similar style to what Anakin wore. A gray belt was strapped around her waist and an engraved silver lightsaber hung from it. Voraté also thought she saw Eirtaé's quarterstaff on her lower back. The delicate, engraved markings were undeniably the blonde handmaiden's design.
"What are you doing here?" Voraté wondered as she took in their surroundings.
It looked like she'd fallen onto a sandy dune. There were marks along the nearby hill she had rolled down after falling off the battleship. A compact silver starship was parked twenty feet away.
"I'm the one who helped Obi-wan route his message after his transmitter was damaged. I came to rescue him," Sabé said. "The real question is, what are you doing here? You're never more than ten feet away from Padmé."
"Anakin had a vision his mother needed him on Tatooine. I overrode Padmé's rash decision to rush off to that hell-hole and instead suggested that I join him and pose as her so that the Jedi Council won't get mad at him should they discover he left Naboo. And then when we got Obi-wan's transmission, we decided to come to Geonosis and rescue him," Voraté stood up.
"I thought you all were on Coruscant," Sabé said as she helped Voraté up.
"We were," Voraté acknowledged as she dusted the disgusting sand off her clothes. "There was another assassination attempt and Padmé and Anakin were relocated to Naboo. The Council doesn't know that I went with them."
"Another attempt!" Sabé said with disbelief.
"Yeah, kouhuns. We found out the assassination orders were issued by Count Dooku," Voraté sighed. "It's a long story. I'll tell you everything later, but right now we need to find Anakin and Obi-wan. They went after Dooku into the canyons."
"Do you know which direction?" Sabé asked as they headed to her ship.
"Umm, that way," Voraté pointed towards the cliffs in the distance marked with pointed spiral columns.
She hopped into Sabé's starship. It was a small two-seater that were placed back-to-back with barely enough legroom. It was built for speed, not comfort.
"How did you get here so fast?" Voraté asked as Sabé lifted the ship from the ground and sent it towards the spiral columns. "Didn't you retransmit Obi-wan's message from the Chommel Sector?"
"Yes, and please don't tell anyone about that," Sabé requested, glancing back momentarily. "I supercharged the hyperdrive – which I don't recommend doing – and took the Camoryn Wormhole. I lost a half-hour trying to find the damn entrance."
"It's harder than it looks," Voraté placated her. She cursed as a couple of ships popped up around them. She recognized them as the escort ships that had fired on the trooper battleship earlier. "Two bogeys behind us."
"I see them," Sabé acknowledged. "Weapons are on the left panel."
Voraté analyzed the buttons and dials. It was a different system than she was used to, but it only took a few seconds to figure it out. She fired their weapons at the enemy ships as Sabé put them into a series of defensive maneuvers. Voraté blasted apart one of the ships as they approached the cliffsides.
"I see an entrance on the cliffs," Sabé reported. "I can sense Obi-wan and Anakin inside."
"We have to help them. They're going up against Dooku alone." Voraté urged. She had faith in the two men, but Dooku was stronger and more wily than she'd predicted.
Their ship rocked as they were hit and the two women cursed as the ship listed to the side. The remaining escort ship stayed with them and continued to fire their weapons.
"The left engine is down!" Sabé shouted.
"I've lost weapons," Voraté replied as she tried to return fire, but nothing happened.
They spun in a lazy circle as the ship lost altitude. Sabé skillfully maneuvered them towards the cliffside entrance; as they approached it, the ship's cockpit lid sprang open.
"What are you doing?" Voraté questioned Sabé.
"Jump!" Sabé yelled as she fired a stabilizer to keep the ship as steady as possible. "I'll take care of the last ship."
"You're crazy!" Voraté shouted at her friend but stood up anyway and gauged the distance to the ledge.
The ship slowly swung closer to the ledge and Voraté leaped off. She hit the ground and rolled to mitigate the impact. She turned around to see Sabé use the remaining thrusters of the right engine to swing her ship up and collide with the escort ship. Fire sprang out in all directions and both ships dropped out of sight. Voraté rushed to the edge in a panic; she could barely see the silver starship among the wreckage. She breathed in relief as Sabé's tiny figure hopped out of the ruined ship and ran towards the cliffs.
Voraté turned and rushed into the darkened caverns. She stopped and clutched her head as a painful, psychic screech echoed across her mind. What was that? It stopped after a few moments and she followed the sounds of lightsabers clashing against each other and came upon a large cavern. Anakin was battling Dooku with quick strikes and Obi-wan was lying motionless on the floor twenty feet away. Voraté stepped forward and almost twisted her ankle on a cylindrical object. She looked down and saw a lightsaber that looked like Obi-wan's. She snatched it up and ran to the ginger-haired man.
"Obi-wan, are you alright…" She stopped as she turned him over and saw the large hole in his stomach. He was not alright.
"Help Anakin," Obi-wan wheezed. His blue-grey eyes dimmed a little as he fought to stay conscious.
Voraté swallowed hard and nodded. She stood and ignited the lightsaber. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she heard a little hum in the back of her mind, like something or someone was trying to talk to her. She stepped forward to slash at Dooku's back. The man somehow foresaw her attack and jumped aside.
"Senator Amidala, so pleased you could join us," Dooku said with a smile, not at all fazed by her arrival. There was a slight yellow gleam to his eyes as he swung his red lightsaber at her.
Voraté blocked his strike and swung at his legs as Anakin struck at his arm. Dooku parried both their attacks. Voraté was breathing hard as she moved to keep up with Anakin and the former Jedi. Using a lightsaber was a lot like wielding a quarterstaff, but with higher stakes. She and Anakin moved together like one being, taking turns between attacking Dooku and fending off his attacks. They pushed the Count back and cornered him at the wall. Dooku merely smiled at his predicament and raised a hand. Voraté screamed as blue energy surrounded her and lit her nerves on fire. The pain forced her to her knees and she vaguely saw the blurry movements of Anakin blocking a strike at her head and Dooku leaping over them. Her vision cleared and she forced herself to stand up. She wobbled a little as she centered herself. Anakin and Dooku whirled around each other in a deadly dance, both moving at impossible speeds. Dooku pushed the younger man away and grinned at him.
"You are remarkably talented for one so young," The Count complimented in a warm baritone voice. "We should join forces and destroy the Sith; together, Darth Sidious is no match for us."
"What's in it for me?" Anakin asked sarcastically, not at all swayed by Dooku's words.
"Honor. Peace," Dooku tilted his head. "The respect of your fellow Jedi and the Council."
"After all you've done?" Anakin asked incredulously, though he was a little perturbed at how well Dooku had read his desires. "I wouldn't join you for all the riches in the galaxy. Planets would die and stars would fizzle out before I even contemplated such an alliance."
"A pity," Dooku lamented with a tiny chuckle. "Perhaps one day in the future, then."
Dooku lunged forward and the two resumed their duel. Their lightsabers whooshed through the air, creating a colorful blur. Anakin was fast, but Dooku was more experienced. Voraté had just caught her breath and was running forward to rejoin the fight when Dooku swung his lightsaber and sliced off Anakin's right hand.
Anakin hollered in pain and stumbled back as Dooku advanced on him with a smile, his lightsaber raised to issue a death blow. Voraté forced herself forward and caught Dooku's lightsaber before it could come down. She forced the deadly blade away from Anakin and struck at Dooku. He easily blocked her blow and attacked as quick as a viper. Voraté moved her tired and aching muscles as fast as she could but it wasn't nearly enough. Dooku's blade cut through the top of the lightsaber, destroying the weapon and before she could react, the red beam snapped around and Voraté screamed in agony as her left arm was cut off above her elbow.
"A valiant effort, Senator," Dooku praised. "But nowhere near enough to best me."
Voraté watched in horror as Dooku swung his lightsaber at her. She squeaked as her vision was obstructed as Anakin wrapped himself around her and turned them so his back was to Dooku. He hollered in pain as his back was sliced open by the red blade. Voraté tugged him towards her, supporting the injured man as she guided them away from Dooku.
Dooku chuckled at her paltry efforts and raised a hand. Voraté and Anakin screamed and writhed with renewed pain as the blue Force-lightning torched their senses. The energy lifted them off their feet and blew them backward. They landed in a heap near a barely breathing Obi-wan. Voraté tried to move as Dooku's footsteps drew nearer, but her pain-filled body refused to respond. The dangerous hum of a lightsaber ignited above them and the red haze it created washed over them. Voraté struggled to move again, to do something, but to no avail. The world slowed down as the red beam swung down at her neck. Before it could connect with her skin, a bright silver quarterstaff blocked the deadly blow.
"You've fallen far if you are striking at defenseless individuals, Dooku," An emotionless voice remarked.
Voraté slumped in relief as she looked past the quarterstaff and beheld the welcome sight of Sabé Rhydater. She'd managed to make it up the cliffside!
Dooku disengaged his lightsaber and stepped back to observe the newcomer.
"You look like Starré Rhydater," He said wonderingly as he examined Sabé. He smirked. "And Terrikan Mitar. Ha! No wonder she left the Order. They kicked out her mate and would have made her give up her child."
"That's no business of yours," Sabé said coldly.
"Perhaps," Dooku shrugged.
"Count Dooku, you are under arrest," Sabé said formally, her brown eyes boring into his. "For conspiring to bring war to the galaxy and throwing the Force out of balance."
"And how do you think you'll arrest me, little one?" Dooku said with infuriating smugness. "You are no Jedi. You do not have the authority to apprehend anyone."
"You know so little," Sabé shook her head. "Will you come quietly or must I handcuff you and drag you before the Courts?"
"It is not in my nature to surrender so easily," Dooku chuckled and reignited his lightsaber.
"So be it," Sabé swung her quarterstaff into position and advanced on Dooku.
The metal and energy beam clashed together, creating an almost irritating screech. Voraté watched in amazement as Sabé held her own against Dooku, moving faster than she or Anakin had. Her technique was flawless and was surprising even to Dooku if the stunned look on his face was any indication.
The biting pain faded a little, and Voraté was able to force herself upright. She looked around for a weapon, anything she could use to help Sabé. She made to stand up, but at that moment, she locked eyes with Sabé. Her friend gave her a slight shake of her head, telling her to stay where she was. Voraté gratefully slumped back down. She wouldn't have been of much help anyway; her muscles were burning and she felt like she was moving through a thick liquid. She turned to aid the fallen men.
Anakin moaned as he came back to the land of the living. The wound Dooku dealt him had penetrated through his tunic and carved a deep slash in his back. Voraté choked back vomit as she saw the cauterized flesh.
"Voraté," Anakin muttered. He winced as he tried to turn over and the pain from his wounds caught up to his brain.
"Stay still," Voraté used her right hand to keep him motionless. "Your back was slashed open."
"I'll be fine," Anakin said through gritted teeth as he turned onto his side and cradled the stump of his right hand to his chest. "What's happening?"
"Sabé came," Voraté smiled a little. "She's keeping Dooku busy."
She looked to her friend. The duel had somehow taken Sabé and Dooku onto the outcroppings on the walls. They agilely leaped from ledge to ledge, exchanging deadly blows. Voraté watched with wide eyes as Sabé somersaulted over Dooku's head to land on a small ledge and strike at his back. The Count jumped inhumanly fast out of the way and kicked at her stomach. Sabé fell to the ground, slightly dazed and winded, and her quarterstaff flew out of her hands. Dooku gently landed on the floor next to her.
"You put up a better fight than those three, I'll give you that, little one," Dooku said with a smile. "But in the end, I will always win." He chopped his lightsaber down at her head.
"No!" Voraté shouted.
But she didn't have to worry. Sabé blocked Dooku's strike with her own lightsaber, which shone a pearlescent bright blue. Sabé thrust out a hand and Dooku was shoved backward. Sabé Force-leaped to her feet and sprang forward to attack Dooku again. Dooku's smile dropped from his face and was replaced by a frown as he realized he'd misjudged his opponent. Sabé's attacks grew stronger and Dooku was on the defensive. Their battle took them back across the floor towards Voraté, Anakin, and Obi-wan. As they drew closer, Voraté noticed there was a slight golden glow around Sabé. She struck strongly at Dooku, forcing him to take a knee on the hard, unyielding rock, and held their lightsabers in place.
"You are strong in the Dark Side of the Force for a Sith Lord," Sabé noted. "But negative emotions hamper your abilities, it doesn't aid them. You still have much to learn about the Force. Do you yield?"
"For the last time, I am no Sith Lord," Dooku frowned. "And no, I do not yield. This is not the end of our fight."
From where she was sitting, Voraté could see droplets of sweat rolling down Dooku's face.
"This is just the beginning," Dooku smirked and thrust out a hand at the trio on the floor.
Voraté twitched as she expected more Force-lightning to be thrown at her. She opened her eyes when nothing happened, but her gaze quickly shot up as she heard the ominous noises of metal bending and shearing. The huge metal pillar to the side creaked and moaned as its base was crushed. Voraté wondered what he was trying to accomplish, but that question was quickly answered when the pillar slowly started to tilt.
"Anakin, move! We have to get out of the way!" She tugged at Anakin's arm.
Anakin forced himself up and his eyes widened as he saw the metal pillar dropping towards them. They both stumbled to their feet and each grabbed Obi-wan's arms with their remaining hand. They tugged the unresponsive Jedi Knight across the floor, trying to get away from the beam's path.
Voraté looked to Sabé as a grunt of pain came from her friend. The woman started panting and she seemed to glow brighter. The metal pillar ground to a halt mid-air a few feet above them, floating with the support of the Force. Sabé's lightsaber morphed from bright blue to crimson red and she limped slightly as she continued her duel with Dooku. Voraté and Anakin moved towards the lightsaber duel, as there was no other way to get out of the way of the pillar. They set Obi-wan back on the ground and the metal column crashed to the ground. Voraté turned around to see the duel had come closer to them.
"Impressive, Miss Rhydater," Dooku complimented, a glint of shock in his yellow eyes. "Not many have a handle on the Force as you do."
"I am not an ordinary person," Sabé rebutted and slashed at his hands.
Dooku blocked the strike and pushed the tired woman backward. Holding up the pillar had taken up a lot of Sabé's energy and concentration; Voraté could tell her sister's old leg injury was flaring up by the slight limp and her slower, more controlled movements. But Sabé didn't let her leg handicap her abilities. In a burst of movements, her lightsaber moved in a flurry and chopped Dooku's lightsaber in half. The disarmed Count moved back quickly to get out of range.
"I dare say you would make a fine apprentice," Dooku said with a smile. He tossed the remains of his lightsaber away. "Join me, Miss Rhydater, and we will rid the galaxy of the Sith and establish a new order."
"You cannot tempt me with such a facetious offer. You clearly have ulterior motives," Sabé spat out. "Yield, Dooku, and perhaps the Courts will be lenient."
"I cannot and will not yield to you," Dooku shook his head and thrust his hand out so quickly, Voraté almost didn't see it.
Sabé's lightsaber shot out of her hands and was flung towards the walls. She widened her stance to avoid falling over from the unexpected move.
"Sabé, watch out!" Voraté shouted out a warning to her friend as a bright blue bolt of Force-lightning extended from Dooku's fingertips and traveled towards her defenseless friend.
Sabé was undaunted by this new attack. She reached her left hand out with her index and middle finger extended, catching the lightning bolt on those two fingers. Her other hand came up and traced a path from her left hand to her belly before she extended it back towards Dooku. A peal of Force-lightning left her right hand and streaked towards Dooku, far more powerful than the blast he had sent her way. The man extended a palm out to send the redirected lightning towards the ceiling, looking pained as the large amount of energy hit his hand. A good chunk of the ceiling broke off and came crashing down on them. Sabé extended her hands up and caught the rocks with the Force. She guided the rocks to an empty spot on the floor. Sabé turned back to Dooku, prepared for another attack, but he wasn't there.
"Where did he...?" Sabé began, whirling about.
"There!" Voraté pointed to the starship where Dooku's black cloak was visible behind the closing hatch. "He's getting away!"
"Kriff!" Sabé cursed as the ship's engines powered on and it shot away.
She shot towards the hangar exit but stopped as Obi-wan coughed and hacked up blood. She ran back to them as an exhausted Anakin cradled his friend and mentor in his arms.
"Stay with me, Obi-wan," Anakin sobbed. Tears ran down his face and his blue eyes were flared with panic. "Don't you dare leave. I can't lose you too."
"It'll be alright, Anakin," Obi-wan coughed. His arm raised to clutch at Anakin's tunic. "You're stronger than you know."
"I can't do this without you," Anakin whispered, shaking his head.
Obi-wan smiled weakly and hugged him as best he could. "Yes, you can. And you must."
Anakin took in a shaky breath and rocked back and forth.
"I'm proud of you, Anakin. You've exceeded my expectations and you're the best friend anyone could ask for," Obi-wan whispered haltingly. "There's nothing more you can do. Let me go."
"Obi-wan…" Anakin hesitantly lowered him back to the ground, tears streaming down his face.
"Could I have a moment with Sabé?" Obi-wan requested, his blue-grey eyes dim with sadness. He reached out to Sabé.
Anakin and Voraté nodded and walked a few feet away. Sabé came forward and knelt next to Obi-wan. Voraté shushed Anakin as he let out a sob and tugged him into a hug. He burrowed his head into her neck and his shoulders shook as he let his grief out. Voraté too let her tears fall as she listened to Sabé's murmurs and Obi-wan's shuddering last breaths.