Chapter 24
Yoda arrived on Kamino in record time and was greeted courteously by Taun We. "Master Jedi, welcome. We got your transmission and have 250,000 troops ready to go to Geonosis."
The diminutive green Jedi Master nodded. "Good, very good. Invaluable they will be. Everything, timing is. How soon will they be ready?"
"They're ready now." She motioned for Yoda to follow her. "There's something that Lama Su wishes to talk with you about before you leave."
Yoda nodded as he was introduced to the prime minister of Kamino. "Master Yoda, I'm glad you were the one to come. There's something I need to tell you about these clone troops…"
Obi-Wan saw another Jedi Padawan fall, killed by the battle droids. He didn't know how much longer they could last. They were grossly outnumbered and he knew it. Finally, the shooting stopped and they were surrounded by the battle droids.
Lara could see Count Dooku standing in the grandstand of the execution arena and she found herself glaring up at him and sending every Naboo curse his way. She didn't even notice the other Jedi looking over at her until Anakin poked her in the arm. "Lara, you're broadcasting," he admonished firmly. "I know you're angry, but this is not the time to let it get out of control." She blushed and looked away.
He looked over at Mace Windu, who had a questioning look in his eyes. Anakin nodded to him as if to say it was under control now.
"Master Windu," Dooku said without preamble. "You have fought gallantly, worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order." He paused. "Now, it is finished. Surrender to me and your lives will be spared."
Lara rolled her eyes. "That's a joke and a half," she muttered under her breath.
Mace glared up at him, his position resolute. "We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!"
He looked down at the Jedi Master with a mixture sadness and frustration. "Then, I'm sorry old friend." The battle droids cocked their weapons and the Jedi they surrendered had their light sabers at the ready. Jessamyn, Padme, Lara, and Jaden cocked the blasters in their hands and had them at the ready.
Suddenly, there was a sound of approaching gunships. "Look!" Padme cried, looking up at the sky. Sure enough, several gunships bearing troopers flew into the arena.
"Around the survivors, a perimeter create," Yoda shouted to the clone trooper piloting the gunship. The clone trooper complied quickly, and soon they were shooting down battle droids.
It didn't take long for the Geonosian spectators to turn tail and run at the sight of the gunships and soon the arena was empty, except for the Jedi Knights who managed to survive, all of them climbing aboard the gunships, along with Jaden, Jessamyn, Rina, Padme, and Lara, who climbed aboard a ship with Obi-Wan and Anakin.
The Jedi Knight looked at Jaden and Jessamyn. "Who invited you along?" he joked. "We're going after Dooku. If we catch him, we can end this war right now. It won't be pleasant."
The two space pirates shrugged. "Don't worry," Jessamyn assured him. "We've been through worse. Besides, why should we let you and Rina have all the fun?"
Anakin found himself scanning the area, spotting a vulnerable battle droid target. "Aim right above the fuel cells!" he called out to the clone pilot. The pilot fired and the large engine exploded.
Obi-Wan grinned in spite of the danger. "Good call, my young Padawan."
Meanwhile, the Geonosian and Separatist forces were scrambling to escape. "I don't know how the Jedi were able to marshal an army so quickly," Dooku muttered, shaking his head.
The Geonosian leader glared at him. "We're sending our troops into hiding. We can't let the Jedi find our plans for the secret weapon. If they find it, we're doomed."
Dooku took the disc. "I'll take the plans with me to Coruscant," he assured the Geonosian leader. "They'll be safe there, with my master."
A few minutes later, he was leaving the hideaway on a speeder, and it wasn't long before he was spotted by the three Jedi Knights and their friends and clone troopers on the gunship.
"That's Dooku," Anakin said, glaring at the speeder. "Shoot him down!"
"We're out of rockets, sir," the clone pilot told him regretfully.
"Follow him then." Anakin sighed with frustration.
Lara looked around worriedly. "We're gonna need some help," she said. To her surprise, Obi-Wan shook his head no.
"There isn't time. Anakin, Rina, and I can handle this."
Instinctively, she and Padme held tight to the beams on the gunship as two droid speeders fired on them. Unfortunately, Jaden didn't have a good grip so when the ship tipped to one side, he fell out and landed on one of the sand dunes.
"Dad!" Rina screamed as she saw him fall and roll on the sand dune and appeared to be unconscious. She stood up. "Put the ship down!"
"Rina! Don't let your personal feelings get in the way!" Obi-Wan barked at her sternly, and then turned back to the pilot. "Follow that speeder!"
"Lower the ship!" Rina cried, but Obi-Wan cut her off once again with Anakin, Lara, Padme, and Jessamyn looking on in shock.
"We can't take Dooku alone! We need you! If we catch him, we can end this war right now! We have a job to do!"
"I don't care!" Rina shot back. "Put the ship down!"
"You will be expelled from the Jedi Order!"
"He's my dad! I can't leave him!"
"Come to your senses!" Obi-Wan yelled. "What do you think your father would do were he in your position?"
Rina was trembling, obviously torn. She finally took a ragged breath. "He would do his duty."
The remainder of the flight chasing Count Dooku was enveloped in an uncomfortable silence, although Anakin could understand her feelings. If it were his mother in that same predicament that Jaden had fallen into, he might have reacted the same way. He reached back to grasp Lara's hand. She grasped his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, causing him to turn back to her. The silent exchange between said more than words ever could.
They landed on the hangar, and sensing danger, Anakin and Obi-Wan herded the girls off the gunship none-too-gently. They weren't off even two minutes when a super battle droid fired at the ship, causing it to explode. "Stay out here!" Obi-Wan said sternly. The three of them nodded, and watched as he, Rina, and Anakin ran in after Dooku.