Chapter 37: Dooku

The hangar was full of battle droids.

Anakin slipped through the closing teeth of the blast doors just as Obi-Wan's canopy went the other way. He slewed his starfighter into a landing that scattered droids with the particle blast from his sublight thrusters.

Battle droids opened fire instantly, and

Anakin's lightsaber flashed. "Artoo, locate a computer link."

The little droid whistled at him, and Anakin allowed himself a tight smile. "Don't worry about us. Find Palpatine. Go on, I'll cover you."

"Get to that link!" Anakin had to shout above the whine of blasters and the roar of exploding droids. "I'm going for Obi-Wan and Buffy!"

"No need." Buffy said.

Anakin whirled to find Obi-Wan and Buffy right behind him.

"Buffy and I appreciate the thought, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a gentle smile. "But we've already come for you."

Buffy looked to Obi-Wan. "You know that's two you owe me, right?"

Obi-Wan smiled and nodded.

The storm of blasterfire ricocheting through the hangar bay suddenly ceased. Clusters of battle droids withdrew behind ships and slipped out hatchways.

Obi-Wan's familiar grimace showed past his blade as he let it shrink away. "I hate it when they do that."

Anakin's lightsaber was already back on his belt. "When they do what?"

"Disengage and fall back for no reason." Obi-Wan said.

"There's always a reason, Obi-Wan." Buffy said.

Obi-Wan nodded. "That's why I hate it."

"Artoo, where's the Chancellor?" Anakin asked.

The little droid's datajack rotated in the wall socket. Its holoprojector eye swiveled and the blue scanning laser built a ghostly image near Anakin's boot: Palpatine shackled into a large swivel chair.

Anakin dropped to one knee and squinted at the image.

Obi-Wan spoke from over Anakin's shoulder. "Do you have a location?"

The image rippled and twisted into a schematic map of the cruiser. Far up at the top of the conning spire R2 showed a pulsar of brighter blue.

"In the General's Quarters." Obi-Wan scowled. "Any sign of Grievous himself?"

Before Artoo could respond Buffy had closed her eyes concentrating on the Force. "He's not there. But I do sense Dooku near the Chancellor."

Obi-Wan hmmed and nodded, "Do you think Grievous couldn't have found Palpatine's beacon? It can hardly be accident that through all the ECM, the Chancellor's homing signal was in the clear. This is a trap. A Jedi trap. Possibly a trap set for us. Personally."

Buffy looked at Obi-Wan. "Likely set for the two of you. I say let's spring it."

Anakin barely heard them. He stared down at his black-gloved fist. He opened his fist, closed it, opened it again. The ache from his shoulder flowed down to the middle of his bicep-

And didn't stop.

His elbow sizzled, and his forearm; his wrist had been packed with red-hot gravel, and his hand-

His hand was on fire.

But it wasn't his hand. Or his wrist, or his forearm, or his elbow. It was a creation of jointed durasteel and electrodrivers.

"Anakin?" Buffy asked sensing the phantom pain.

Anakin's lips drew back from his teeth. "It hurts."

"Your replacement arm? When did you have it equipped with pain sensors?" Buffy asks.

"I didn't. That's the point." Anakin said. "After you had the pain sensors removed from yours I thought it best not to have any installed at all in mine."

Buffy nodded. She had pain sensors installed shortly after she got her own replacement arm. But it had been almost too much for her and she quickly had them removed.

"The pain is in your mind, Anakin-" Obi-Wan said.

"No." Anakin's heart froze over. His voice went cold as space. "I can feel him."

"You mean Dooku?" Buffy asked.

Anakin nods, "Your right, Buffy. He's here on this ship." He rose and his durasteel hand clenched and stayed that way, a centimeter from his lightsaber. "Let him ask. My answer is right here on my belt."

"Be mindful, Anakin. The Chancellor's safety is our only priority." Obi-Wan said.

"Yes-yes, of course," Anakin said. "All right, it's a trap. Next move?"

Buffy thought for a second. "I think we should split up. I will go up in the first turbolift and you two come up a few seconds later in the second. This way we catch Dooku unaware."

Obi-Wan nodded.

"Do you think that's wise?" Anakin asked as worry for Buffy flooded his voice. "To split up?"

"It may not be wise," Buffy said. "But it has the element of surprise. And we need that element."

Anakin nodded resignedly as he turned to his astromech. "You stay here, Artoo-" The little droid interrupted him with a wheedling whirr. "No arguments. Stay. I mean it."

R2-D2's whistling reply had a distinctly sulky tone.

"Listen, Artoo, someone has to maintain computer contact; do you see a datajack anywhere on me?" Anakin asked.

The droid seemed to acquiesce, but not before wheeping what sounded like it might have been a suggestion where to look.

Waiting by the open hatchway, Obi-Wan shook his head. "Honestly, the way you talk to that thing."

Anakin started toward him. "Careful, Master, you'll hurt his feelings-"

Buffy shook her head. "Really, Obi-Wan you of all people should know that droids are just as alive as you or I. Just cause they can't feel the Force or have midichlorian's in their blood doesn't make them any less alive."

Obi-Wan nodded and said nothing else on the subject.

Buffy rode the turbolift up alone centering on herself. For a moment she searched for Dawn through their bond and sighed. At this distance Dawn was not able to hear her. Though she could still sense her sister faintly. If she opened herself up to the Force itself she knew she could feel her sister fully. But the faint sense of Dawn through the bond was enough for now.

The turbolift's door whished open. Buffy pressed herself against the wall, a litter of saber-sliced droid parts around her feet. Beyond appeared to be a perfectly ordinary lift lobby: pale and bare and empty.

Buffy slipped cautiously through the turbolift's door. Nothing shot at her. She stopped at the the door to the General's Quarters. And then Buffy entered and cautiously picked her way down the curving stairs from the entrance balcony to the main level of the General's Quarters, moving slowly to stay braced against the pitching of the cruiser.

Buffy slid along the bank of chairs on one side of the immense situation table that dominated the center of the room. In the chair in front of her was Chancellor Palpatine, and there were no droids to be seen.

Palpatine looked bad. Palpatine looked frightened.

"Chancellor," Buffy said, a calmly respectful greeting as though they had met by chance on the Grand Concourse of the Galactic Senate.

Palpatine's only response was a tight murmur. "Master Naberrie, behind you-!"

Buffy didn't turn. She didn't have to. She could feel Dooku's approach through the Force. Hear the sounds of his boots on the floor.

"This," Buffy murmured to Palpatine, and to herself, "is not a problem."

The voice that spoke from the entrance balcony was an elegant basso with undernotes of oily resonance like a kriin-oak cavernhorn. Count Dooku's voice. "General Naberrie. I didn't expect you."

Buffy shook her head and knew it was a lie. Just as she knew he had watched her approach. And just as likely he knew that Obi-Wan and Anakin were on their way. "I did not come alone."

Dooku smiled, "No, but I will deal with General Kenobi and Skywalker when they arrive. You are now my prisoner, laydown your lightsaber."

Buffy gave Dooku only her back, but her blade was already out and she stood frozen with anticipation.

"Get help!" Palpatine said. "You must get help. You're not a match for a Sith Lord!"

Buffy smiled, "Tell that to the one I have fought twice and drove back both times. The only reason she is not dead is because she is a coward."

Palpatine nodded in agreement. Glorificus was too bent on her revenge to see the larger picture.

Buffy turned, meeting Dooku's direct gaze for the first time since the abandoned hangar on Geonosis.

Dooku leaned forward, and his cloak of armorweave spread like wings; he lifted gently into the air and descended to the main level in a slow, dignified Force-glide. Touching down at the head of the situation table, he regarded Buffy from under a lifted brow.

"Your weapon, please, m'lady. Let's not make a mess of this in front of the Chancellor." Dooku said.

Buffy lifted her lightsaber into the balanced two-handed guard of Ataro: the style Yoda had taught her, the style Yoda himself favored. Her blade crackled into existence, and the air smelled of lightning. "You won't escape this time, Dooku."

"Escape you? Please." Dooku allowed his customary mild smile to spread. "Do you think I orchestrated this entire operation with the intent to escape? I could have taken the Chancellor outsystem hours ago. But I have better things to do with my life than to babysit him while I wait for you, Kenobi and Skywalker to attempt a rescue."

"This is a little more than an attempt." Buffy said.

"And a little less than a rescue." Dooku said.

With a flourish, Dooku cast his cloak back from his right shoulder, clearing his sword arm-which he used to gesture idly at the pair of super battle droids still on the entrance balcony above. "Now please, m'lady. Must I order the droids to open fire? That becomes so untidy, what with blaster bolts bouncing about at random. Little danger to the two of us, of course, but I should certainly hate for any harm to come to the Chancellor."

Buffy moved toward him with a slow, hypnotic grace, as though she floated on an invisible repulsor plate. "Why do I find that difficult to believe? You weren't so particular about bloodshed on Geonosis."

"Ah." Dooku's smile spread even farther. "And how is Senator Amidala? And your sister, Dawn, isn't it?"

"Don't—" Buffy stated calmly. "Don't even speak their names."

Dooku waved this aside.

"I bear Chancellor Palpatine no ill will, foolish girl. He is neither soldier nor spy, whereas you here are both. It is only an unfortunate accident of history that he has chosen to defend a corrupt Republic against my endeavor to reform it." Dooku said.

"You mean destroy it." Buffy said.

"The Chancellor is a civilian. You on the other hand, are a legitimate military target. It is up to you whether you will accompany me as my captive—" A twitch of the Force brought his lightsaber to his hand with invisible speed, its brilliant scarlet blade angled downward at his side. "—or as a corpse.''

"Now, there's a coincidence," Buffy replied dryly. "You face the identical choice."

Dooku regarded Buffy with impregnable calm. He lifted his blade in the Makashi salute and swept it again to a low guard. "Just because Kenobi and Skywalker are approaching, do not presume you have the advantage."

"Oh, I know," Buffy said. "Because there are two of you."

Dooku barely managed to restrain a jolt of surprise.

"Or maybe I should say, were two of you," Buffy went on. "We're on to your partner Sidious; we tracked him all over the galaxy. He's probably in Jedi custody right now."

"Is he?" Dooku relaxed. He was terribly, terribly tempted to wink at Palpatine, but of course that would never do. "How fortunate for you."

"Surrender." Buffy's voice deepened into finality. "You will be given no further chance."

Dooku lifted an eyebrow. "Unless you happen to be carrying Yoda in your pocket, I hardly think I shall need one."

"I do not need Master Yoda in my pocket, as you say. I was his Padawan, just as you were. And he taught me well," Buffy said.

"Not well enough," Dooku said as he gave the slightest glance of concern over his shoulder, distracted for half an instant.

Buffy leapt at Dooku, who kicked out and sent her tumbling toward the floor; she reached into the Force to effortlessly right herself and touched down in perfect balance to spring again. But she never got the chance as Dooku pressed her away with a succession of weaving, flourishing thrusts that drove Buffy's blade out of line while they reached for his heart.

Chairs leapt up from the situation table and whirled toward Buffy's head. She slashed the first one in half contemptuously, but the second caught her across the knees and the third battered her shoulder and knocked her down.

Buffy quickly got back to her feet and drove a slash at Dooku's scarlet blade and Dooku sidestepped.

"Really," Dooku said, "this is pathetic."

Buffy allowed the Force to direct her; Dooku directed the Force. He drew her strikes to his parries, and drove his own ripostes with thrusts of dark power that subtly altered Buffy's balance and disrupted her timing.

Dooku leaned into a thrust at Buffy's gut that the she deflected with a rising parry, bringing them chest-to-chest, blades flaring, locked together a handbreadth from each other's throats. "Your moves are too slow, Naberrie. Too predictable. You'll have to do better."

Buffy's response to this friendly word was to regard him with a twinkle of gentle amusement in her eye. "Very well, then." She threw herself spinning up and away from Dooku to land on the situation table, disengaging for a moment to recover her composure

Buffy nearly lost her own foot to a slash from Dooku who had come out of nowhere and now carved through the table so that it collapsed under Buffy's weight and dumped her un-ceremoniously to the floor.

Dooku drove a series of flashing thrusts toward Buffy's legs to draw her into a flipping overhead leap so that Dooku could burn through her spine from kidneys to shoulder blades-and this image, this plan, was so clear in Dooku's mind that he almost failed to notice that Buffy met every one of his thrusts without so much as moving her feet, staying perfectly centered, perfectly balanced, blade never moving a millimeter more than was necessary, deflecting without effort, riposting with flickering strikes and stabs swifter than the tongue of a Garollian ghost viper.

As Dooku gathered the Force once more in a single indrawn breath that summoned power from throughout the universe; the slightest whipcrack of that power, negligent as a flick of his wrist, sent Buffy flying backward to crash hard against the wall knocking her unconscious, he thought. "Yoda, taught you better than I thought."

When Obi-Wan and Anakin got there they immediately saw Buffy and knew that Dooku had been ready for her.

"General Kenobi. Anakin Skywalker. Gentlemen-a term I use in its loosest possible sense-you and Buffy Naberrie are my prisoners. Though I think I will hand General Naberrie over to Glorificus, she will enjoy killing her I am quite sure." Came Dooku's voice from behind them.

Obi-Wan and Anakin launched at Dooku and a fight ensued. Obi-Wan was knocked out and pinned similarly to Buffy as Anakin continued the fight.

Moments passed before Buffy began to stir as she heard something hit the ground across the room from her. She looked up as Dooku's lightsaber tumbled from Anakin's loosening fingers. "I-I couldn't stop myself. . ." he said as she saw Dooku's head.

"You did well, Anakin." Palpatine's voice was warm as an arm around Anakin's shoulders. "You did not only well, but right. He was too dangerous to leave alive."

Using the Force Buffy pushed the equipment off her. "Dangerous he may have been. Useful he could have been also in knowing the Separatists plans."

"I shouldn't have done that," Anakin said, and now his voice came out solid, and simple, and final. "It was wrong."

"Nonsense. Disarming him was nothing; he had powers beyond your imagination." Palpatine said.

Anakin shook his head. "That doesn't matter. It's not the Jedi way."

Buffy frowned at Palpatine. "We really should be getting out of here. It's only a matter of time before the Seperatist's battle droids find us."

Anakin nodded and moved to Obi-Wan as Buffy undid the restraints holding Palpatine to the chair.

"Leave him, Anakin. There is no time." Palpatine said as he, supported by Buffy, moved towards the turbolift lobby. "This whole spire may be about to break free-"

"Obi-Wan's fate will be the same as ours," Buffy said. "I will not leave anyone behind. Never have, never will."

Anakin nodded in agreement as he grabbed the unconscious Obi-Wan. Palpatine was angry at Buffy and at Glorificus for not being able to kill her. At the first chance he got he would remedy that mistake, and kill Buffy himself.