Mace Windu walks through the abandoned halls leading to the arena feeling the ground shake around him and the fear of thousands of beings in front of him and above fleeing from something. The light slowly appears ahead and he slows as he warily leaves the darkness of the passageway behind stepping over the body of Nute Gunray. He then scowls as his eyes squint out to an empty arena that had been full not minutes before. He felt the other Jedi of the strike team also feel confused.

Yoda is sitting near a command console on the bridge of one of twelve Acclamator class assault ships that he had boarded along with a portion of the clone army that was waiting for him on Geonosis. Arriving on Geonosis he was surprised and concerned that they were nearly finished loading up and his ship landed on one of the assault ships. Once he got to the bridge he had a short conversation with the Kaminoan Lama Su. Since then he ordered the commander of the vessel to head to Geonosis only to find it was already ordered by the Chancellor. He felt hundreds of lights in the Force winking on the brink of death suddenly feel confusion just after a few flair strongly in the Force. His eyes fly open and he taps the commander clone with the Force.

"Commander changed the mission has, no longer in danger the Jedi are on Geonosis."

"Understood Master Jedi, but we have our orders. Invade Geonosis and apprehend or eliminate the leaders of the Separatists."

"Order you to hold I do. Talk to my fellow Jedi we must. The situation on Geonosis changed it has. Affect the battle it will."

"I have my orders, Master Jedi." The clone went to turn away and suddenly went to his knees in front of the Grand Master.

"Do as I say, you will."

"I will do as you say." The clone straightened and turned to his second.

"As soon as we come out of hyperspace tell all ships to hold."

Several of the Jedi jump to where Master Windu is looking out at the empty stadium and arena. Master Plo Koon, Coleman Trebor, Ki Adi Mundi, Shaak Ti, Luminara Unduli, Even Piell, Eath Koth and finally Kit Fisto join Master Windu on the balcony scaring away the curious Geonosians.

"Where are they at? Our scanners picked up thousands of life forms to be in the arena and Kenobi's comlink." Mundi asked not hiding his displeasure.

"I do not know they feel to be farther inside the Hive of Stalgasin." Luminara declared as she opened her eyes.

"We need to leave here. Something has changed in the Force."

"I feel it too. We will not survive, if it those droids we saw coming down to the planet."

"We came here to find the Separatist leaders and cut the head from this beast before it turns into a war."

"I am up for a fight, but our purpose here is finished, Master Windu."

"Master Piell you of all the council were first to call for a strike against the corporations that had declared secession. How did you call it? Cut the heads off the serpent."

"I know but I feel they are gone. Kenobi and Skywalker are on their own." Master Windu frowned but he felt all of the masters were against further conflict until they knew more. He brought his comlink up to his face.

"All Jedi retreat to the rally point Ebon Hawk." The two hundred and twelve Jedi vanished just as fast as they appeared as the council rushed down the way Mace had came.

Obi Wan, Anakin and Padme were following close behind Jenica. She would stop and hold and then go forward or BB's would vanish in a stream and the clatter of droids falling and crashing into walls preceded them moving through them as Anakin or Kenobi sent their BB's crashing into the droids that came up behind them.

"Do you know where you are going?"

"Shh." I pointed down and the three of them look and see a command center. The very members of the newly formed Leadership Council were yelling at each other. Obi Wan looked away from them and at Count Dooku as he was talking to Poggle the Lesser. He watched as Poggle moved to a terminal and took something as it displayed this huge looking battle sphere. The disk in his hand he brought it over to Count Dooku. Poggle had his back to him but he could clearly see Count Dooku's face. He saw two things that Dooku had said.

"I'm going to Coruscant. My Master will not let the Republic get away with this treachery." and "I will take the designs with me. They will be much safer with my Master." He then watches as Dooku rushes out of the chamber and Poggle flies up and then down into some hole as the other Geonosians to include Sun Fac and Gizor Dellso. This caused a pause in the arguing.

"Why are they leaving?" San Hill asked.

"Where is Count Dooku?" Wat Tambor asked. Above them I signaled to Anakin and to Kenobi that I was going down. They both shook their heads no. I smiled and vanished. Anakin glared at Obi Wan.

"She doesn't get it from me." They tense as the dozen or so droids in the room suddenly start staggering around just before the two droidekas lift in the air and slam into each other before flying across the room again silencing the council while they watched them hit two holes and bounce off the edges before vanishing.

"What was that?"

"Our signal to leave." Anakin and Kenobi jump down onto the table they had been sitting around and this forces them all to stand and back away.

"You are all under arrest." Wat Tambor starts laughing his voice goes super high before coming back down to the normal bass tone.

"This is Geonosis the Republic has no authority here and convicted Jedi have even less." Tikkes moved closer to the table.

"You should leave before you create an act of war. Killing us will do just that."

"I am not going to kill you as you are under arrest."

"I will say this again. We just formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Go home Jedi we are not going with you and so you will have to kill us."

"In cold blood, now that is harsh. Thought I would die in my sleep." San Hill placed his hand to his forehead.

"Jenica where are you?" I giggle causing Wat Tambor to freeze as I was right behind him.

"If you want to die, then by all means I will kill you."

"Don't there are cameras all around. They will get to the Senate you will be charged with murder." Shu Mai said in her language as fear crossed her face and could be felt throughout the room.

"So the Senate will demand proof and holovid evidence is not valid. I fear it would be deferred to a committee and an independent source will have to go confirm such an allegation." Padme smirked as the council looked at each other in horror.

"Are you saying that you can get away murder?"

"The Trade Federation killed my people over a tax that the Naboo had no control over. If they can do that and not go to prison I doubt killing a few seditious corporate leaders will bother the Senate."

"This is an outrage."

"It does not have to be gentle beings. Come with us under arrest or not you have an obligation to declare your confederacy in front of the Senate."

"Your Senate took away our ability to legally seek independence right after the first few systems and sectors seceded." This stopped Padme as she had no context for what they had just claimed. She was one of the most read Senators and would only vote on bills if she read and understood what the legislation would do. She did not remember voting on such a bill, but with the Military Creation Act taking much of her time from her from nearly the start of her first term as Senator. There was a way for the systems to leave the Republic as the very first ones did leave, but she could not remember a bill that would prevent them.

"When was this? Before I became Senator or after?"

"Amidala does it really matter? You may be the one of the few Senators that I still respect, you are not in the majority and that you were not very involved in the beginning until you joined the opposition." Shu Mai paused as Padme absorbed what the business being had implied. This caused her to back away a step or two.

"Then we can not arrest them."

"Wait what? You can't be serious they sentenced us to die."

"Poggle did, not them. Even if they agreed it was still Poggle who had the authorization to do so not them."

At least the Neimoidian is dead." Padme whirled on me as I finished. "What I didn't do it."

"Then how do you know?"

"I felt it as it happened in the Force during the chaos in the arena."

"I think we have out worn our welcome." Obi Wan declared as we all spun as several droidekas rolled in before B1 droids marched in from other directions. Anakin picked up Padme and tossed her back up the hole we dropped down from as my hands outstretched causing Obi Wan's eyes to enlarge just before he jumped up with Anakin. Drawing on the Force lightning that came from the ceiling and floors spreading out destroying equipment and droids alike.

The large holoterminal crackled and sparked before exploding in a spray of plasma in all directions. The five members of the Leadership Council fled out the only path with the least number of droids and lightning. The two droidekas got their shields up in time and began firing as I jumped out of their line of fire. Getting to the upper level I raced after Obi Wan and passed them both leading them out of the hive and back to their ship.

Mace walked quickly up into the Jedi Defender. He found the ship was very well build and much faster than the other three though he knew that from several of the reports the engineers had given him. It was why nearly half the council was on this ship as well. He came to the center as the holodisplay flickered to life. Master Yoda's image appeared next to the image of a clone commander.

"Master Windu success in finding Master Kenobi and Knight Lour, you have?"

"No Master Yoda, We arrived to an empty hive and arena. The Geonosian fled in fear before we could get in position."

"We later found out a Krayt Dragon had been released which must have panicked the Geonosians. We felt that Kenobi and Lour are fine and another not sure who."

"Brash young Skywalker is. More determined Amidala has proven in the past. They were there I feel. In battle you are not."

"We have not seen anything but broken droids, dead beasts, and one Nute Gunray deceased as well. They have a droid horde here and ships from the Federation are leaving in mass."

"Ordered to attack we were. Attack we should."

"It would be suicide master. No matter how good the clones are there are millions of droids here. The world is one large factory for military weapons."

"We were trained to fight against such odds, Master Jedi." Many of the Jedi frown or nodded at the confidence the clone commander had.

"I really should talk to you about what I saw back there Anakin."

"I know I will tell Master Qui Gon. Please don't tell the council. Let my master make that decision."

"It is not the Jedi way."

"I know master and we talked about it and decided not to have a relationship, but nearly dying we could not bear the thought of not telling each other of our love."

"I can understand a romance I do, but you need to realize attachments will hurt more than anything. I should know."

"You?"

"Anakin he is human. I know of two women in his life that he nearly left the Jedi Order for. One I think he still should."

"Jenica he does not need to know about the attachments I nearly created."

"Please you talk in your sleep."

"I do not."

"Oh Satine, give me a break." Padme and Anakin started laughing as Obi Wan sputtered.

"Our relationship ended when I let her on Mandalore when I was twenty."

"What about Siri then? I feel she is close. I know you had a thing for her and she still feels for you."

"I only told you that as a warning to not do anything with Jeri or Newels."

"And against my better judgment I listened. However, I will find Jeri and find out what you two are talking about."

"What Padme and I have is something we both knew when we first met."

"Ewe, I didn't need to know that."

"You were there and if I remember correctly you knew it too."

"Go get a room. Come on Master." I took Obi Wan's hand and forced him into the shadows of the Force. He gasped as no sooner had we vanished then they kissed before walking up the ramp while Artoo was dragging Threepio to the ship. As soon as the ramp raised the ship lifted off.

"How could you let them break the Jedi Code?"

"What Code did I use when I was made a knight?"

"The same oath and code I did?"

"Nope wrong. Emotions, yet Peace. The old code has more purpose for me. You know that and if you were honest you follow it too. Or you would have had a cow seeing them kiss."

"I thought I did have a cow."

"No just a Nerf." With that he smiled and lead us out of the steam shaft and the long journey back to where my ship was. Though we used the Force to make it much faster. As we got close to the ship we stopped just short to be seen from the ship to see dozens of fighters suddenly take off. Only one remained as the four of them walked up to the ship. Luminara Unduli walked down the ramp of the ship as her droid started to squeal.

"Master Kenobi, Knight Lour I was not expecting you for some time."

"Is my ship alright?"

"I do not know. I and the other Jedi were locked out as soon as the battle droids were defeated."

"Zerdy open up." The inner hatch opened and the hiss of air followed. Arnine and Teefive came down the ramp.

"It got quite exciting after you left. I gathered up a kill count of nearly fifty droids." Teefive whistled rapidly before giving Arnine an electronic raspberry.

"Fine you got sixty, but I still count the ones we both shot as mine."

Arnine don't start. Plus it is going to get hot and we don't need to get shot down."

"Well then this is the time to take my ship and leave. I believe you still have a mission to complete." He jumped up on top of the Ebon Hawk and began to inspect his fighter.

"Oh I just realized I do not have a hyperdrive docking ring to link up to."

"There is one up there a knight got shot down and so we had to leave his behind. I'll lead you up to it."

"Good better to fly together."

"Luminara give this to Anakin I sort of forgot."

"His lightsaber?"

"Yes and don't ask me how it got cut in half."

"I won't, but I am surprised he has managed to keep the crystals for so long." She placed the two halves somewhere in her robes as she hoped up on to her fighter. Almost in unison they take off and rocket for space. Jenica takes a deep breath and marches into her ship and it is the last to raise up into the air. Her mission is just beginning, but Dooku going free felt wrong to her some how.

A sail ship raises up into space and the delicate sails project outward away from the ship as it power from the sun to accelerate the ship faster than other of similar size with less reliance on fuel. The droid inside the ship wait patiently for the navicomp to beep and when it does the ship vanishes in a bright line moments later. Several hours later an completely across the galaxy the same ship arrives in system. Once near the planet the sail retract back into the ship as it heads down to the planets surface. Count Dooku opens his eyes only when the hatch to the ship opens wordlessly getting out of the ship and heading to his office to sit down and open the ancient safe that his great grandfather had last used.

The first time he spent thirty minutes using the Force to get the old safe open. He found many interesting things inside and several items that went back several hundred years. He called the counts that lead the houses implicated within this information and just let them know it was still very much relevant even after a hundred years or more. He set the holodisc of the design of the space station inside and took out a lightsaber he had not handled in several years.

A perfect duplicate to the one he now had on his belt. He switched then after feeling the Khyber crystals in each, but then took the one back out and moments later both sabers were apart and the crystals floating in front of him. One red and the other blue. He grabbed them both and poured his Force presence into both of them. He did not stop until a comm signal alighted on his desk. Opening his hand both crystals had changed colors. The blue to a yellow orange and the red to a darker orange yellow. Interesting Dooku thought. The colors of pursuit and justice. His hand flicked as the lightsabers flew back together.

"Is your end secure?" The voice barely contained his fury.

"As always." He resisted the need to sigh.

"Why have you not reported apprentice?"

"What is there to report? Two Jedi and a Senator were on Geonosis and then escaped. Your Jedi and clones never arrived before the three found help and escaped."

"You let them escape. The one dying would have drawn the other to me. How did they escape?"

"A third Jedi helped them. One who has control of the old art of a Jedi Sage mixed with the skill of a Shadow. I failed to see her until Nute Gunray died."

"What? He was critical in keeping the Trade Federation in line. Rune Haako will have difficulty gaining the Viceroyship."

"That is no longer my problem."

"What do you mean Darth Tyranus?"

"The Jedi Order is changing. They somehow prevented your clones from attacking Geonosis. Even with Kenobi and Skywalker escaping were you not sure that the Jedi Council would take the clones and use them? So eager to test them out in battle like a youngling with a new toy."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Oh no, Master Sidious, I mean Darth Palpatine. Oh dear I guess I am."

"Then die." Dooku felt his skin tighten around his neck as he drew on the Force to strengthen his body. A growl came out of Palpatine's throat before he gave up.

"That was short."

"Do not forget that I am far more powerful than you are and you will not be able to resist the next time we meet."

"The next we meet Sith will be as a Jedi Master versus a Sith. I will pursue you until Justice has been delivered. Goodbye Sith." The connection blinked out and Sidious screamed in rage destroying everything within ten yards of him. He only stopped as he felt himself start to lose control of his Mask. Rushing to the nearest mirror he studied his image until it perfectly matched the last image of Chancellor Palpatine. He looked at the clock and wondered how the Senate would react if he had Master Yoda arrested?

Nal Hutta system outer sensor ring. Two spacers are busy fixing an welding on one of the navigation buoys. Their tiny ship barely bigger than a fighter floats nearby as their safety lines swirl and snake between them.

"Hey you get that panel back in place?"

"Yup welding it now. How about circuit fifteen?"

"Another second and got it." The lights on the buoy suddenly come back on.

"Man, what does it take to get the Hutts..."

"Max." Jack says after he sees dozens of light appear right in front of him.

"...to replace one of these things."

"Max." Then even more of the ring the first arrivals.

"I mean really how long before we will..."

"Max!" The ships are rapidly getting bigger and the shears size brings fear to the old spacer. The man hits his booster launching himself to the small ship.

"...be out here again to fix this same buoy."

"Max will shut the kriff up and get to the ship." He looks again at the ships as they are now impossibly large and way too close as he hits the real in on Max's line.

"Hey, what is the, what the Sith is that?"

"A Lucrehulk." Jack replies as the Behemoth sized ship flies so close that had they still been on the navigation buoy they would have died as the buoy gets hit by a hanging pole of some kind. The engine flares on the small ship as Max just barely makes it inside as the canopy slams shut. The little ship gains distance and Max's struggle is finally successful as he flips around and can sit properly in his seat. The young man and the old man stare transfixed as ship after ship passing them.

They turn in the direction the ships are going and see the far off planet of Nal Hutta and the moon of Nar Shaddaa. Jack looks at the Lucrehulk and see a symbol that he didn't know. The Symbol was painted right over the Trade Federation logo. A solid red dot with flames shooting to both sides inside a white background surrounded by red circle.

The sun is setting and the last fighter from Geonosis lands. Kenobi shuts the ship down as the canopy raises and Master Windu and Yoda wait for him. Arfour beeps and whistles complaints for being left in the fighter the entire time. Obi Wan had long ago stopped listening ass the droid popped out of the fighter and raced away before Kenobi could get out. Both Mace and Yoda look a t bit curious about the droid.

"I don't think I have ever heard a droid complain as much as that one."

"It could have been worse."

"Perhaps."

"Glad to see you Obi Wan, I am. Explain what happened on Geonosis you will."

"Where is Anakin?"

"Still guarding Padme Amidala."

"I asked where not with whom."

"That now is part of my report." Kenobi walked up with them and they match ed his pace as he walked into the Temple hanger. "After I was captured I spent some time in a Magnaforce rack. They are really Jedi proof and no off switch. I was left alone and no one even came to chatter at me until Count Dooku came in claiming this was all a mistake. He did sound very honest and felt even more so in the Force. In fact his mind was nearly an open book. Much of what he said was more for the recordings than for me, but we have a problem."

"A problem? Should the Council gather."

"He named Darth Sidious as the one controlling the Senate. He did not confirm his knowledge of Tyranus verbally but guilt rolling off him admitted it was him. Count Dooku is or was Darth Tyranus."

"Why not just tell you who Sidious is?"

"Afraid to reveal his master, he still is."

"No he was clear. Darth Sidious controls hundreds of Senators. There is only a few who that could be."

"Obi Wan that does not feel right, but I do feel we should keep a closer eye on the Senate."

"I agree."

"That's it? A closer eye?"

"What more can we do?"

"Investigate everyone close to the Chancellor to include the Chancellor. If this Darth Sidious has control of the Senate he has control of the Republic."

"Investigate the Senate not so easy it will be. Much difficulty it will be to keep secret. Powerful and much control they have. Danger I see even if lie Dooku has."

"We can start an investigation, but if we have not discovered anything by now we may just anger the Senators who are close to the Chancellor."

"Silent the Force has been. Clouded much the dark side has."

"You're not going to do anything. Dooku said you will not sense his presence until it is too late."

"There will be an investigation."

"Where is Padawan Skywalker?" Obi Wan sighed still not feeling as if they were going to do anything, but that did not mean he was not going to even without their permission.

"He and Padme attempted to rescue me on Geonosis instead of staying on Tatooine or going back to Naboo. Master Jinn was injured. Not sure how or how bad. Sometimes it is hard to hear Jenica through our bond even if she is wide open. She was there, but had investigated other parts of Geonosis."

"We have her report and the raw numbers of droids, and equipment that the factories of Geonosis produced and can produce."

"Right so she remained free not sure what she told you or did during the time I was held or if she saw what all Anakin and Padme did, but she recovered my lightsaber and that was the first time I felt her since we left the Ebon Hawk."

"And when was this?"

"During the arena fight. Though we did not fight that much. Between the BB's and causing the ground to shake none of the beasts came close enough."

"BB's."

"Those ball bearings she always was using. She got Anakin and I in the same habit. I think Qui Gon and several others. We used them to blind the beasts and then the droids. She somehow remained invisible and caused the arena to shake as if there was an Earth quake. They let out all the animals and even a Krayt dragon. From there were mostly kept them away from us as Anakin raised enough dust to fill the arena and Jenica kept shaking the ground."

"You were free by this time?"

"More or less. The droidekas started firing and that is when we ran. Jenica destroyed them all in one shot."

"Do that did she how?"

"Some type of lightning. White and yellow in color. As loud as real lightning. The droids were in a continuous circle around the arena."

"The dark side, Sith lightning?"

"Not that time."

"Use Force Lightning she did?"

"Yes that was later after we talked with some of the leaders that had joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems. She destroyed the droids and guards there and then she created a Force storm of lightning all over the room. It changed several colors and I could feel the darkness."

"Fallen she has?"

"No Jedi could produce such an ability without knowledge of Sith Alchemy."

"The thing is she was not angry or could I feel any hate from her."

"Recall her, question her we must."

"If she comes back."

"Talked to their leaders you have. Arrested them you did not."

"No they would not have came willingly and though we could have handled the five of them. As senator Amidala refused and this was after she threatened them all with death. They explained that they had a means to leave the Republic legally but it was removed."

"I remember that bill. It was to prevent any more from leaving."

"Grew the Separatist Crisis did after that."

"From there Anakin and Padme went to their ship and I took my fighter off of the Ebon Hawk before join with Master Unduli."

"Troubling this all is. Feel we are being watched I do." All three Jedi open themselves to the Force searching as far as they could throughout the hanger.

"Better than starting a war. Do you think the clone would have brought us victory?"

"Fought well they would have. Been enough to win know this I do not."

"However, this war is going to start sooner or later. That is certain." All three of them suddenly focus along a part of the north wall as a presence snickers on the other side of the bay. The presence feels their strength and how weak at the same time. They will know soon enough what war really was like.

Not far from the Temple Palpatine held his furry barely in check while standing next to Mas Amedda and Bail Organa. Guma Saam, Ainlee Teem, Onaconda Farr, are there as well seeing thousands upon thousands of clones unloading from plain transports and marching across a large landing area to marching up into Acclamator Assault ships and Venator Star destroyers. AT-TE and AT-RT Walkers march along with them as well as AT LAAT gunships and AR 170 starfighters flew out of huge freighters to be flown to a large landing area or directly into the awaiting warships. Of all the senators present only Bail looked on in horror at what these troops truly meant to the Republic. A feeling that Palpatine secretly enjoyed.

On Naboo two of the most unlikely people stood across from each other. Their fear, hope, joy, and dedication had exploded the moment they had declared their love for each other. One a senator of the Republic another a Jedi. They each had a duty that would drag them apart, but their love pulled them back together. Anakin's fear was that he would see her as nothing more than a possession. Padme's fear was that he would not believe her love was real. Their hope was that they could do their duty and keep their marriage. Their joy was encircling each other in their hands. Their dedication would be to do their duty as man and woman bonded together through the Force.

The holy man said words that they could not hear over the beating of each others hearts. Or from the thoughts that assaulted their minds and the ones they shared with each other as the oaths they spoke opened a bond that rarely a Jedi would create. A family bond a partner bond, a bond that was ten times stronger than any master padawan bond. One that showed Padme how the Force felt for the fist time. A bond that showed Anakin that her love for him was real and she was not a possession banishing both their fears as they kissed.

Several dozen members of the Naberrie and Amidala families watched in surprise and tears as they felt the truest form of love. Ruwee stood stoically his cheeks red with fury and damp with tears. Jobal held his hand openly crying seeing her daughter with the man she had known from the first second of seeing him when he was ten years old would hopefully come back and he did to marry her. Sola cried and laughed next her husband Darred seeing her sister finally happy. Darred sighing as this was not something he enjoyed as his wedding had been sheer torture, but his marriage fruitful. Ryoo and Pooja giggling as the two lovers kissed. In the background was the Thule family and members of Janren family. Ryoo Thule and Winama Naberrie looked on the new couple in a happy shock as this was the first they heard of the boy and that he was a Jedi.

The family did not bother to watch the Galactic News nor did the two love birds as they escaped late at night to go to a honeymoon location somewhere on Naboo, but by morning the ship was sitting again outside of the Lars Homestead. A smaller event of a well cooked meal was made in celebration of their bonding. The only one not so pleased was Qui Gon Jinn, but he should have known that Anakin was not one to follow rules that did not fit well with his moral compass. It was there that the couple first saw the troops marching on Coruscant or the CIS News of the same posturing on dozens of key systems that joined the CIS they announced Raxus, Serrano, Yag Dhul, and Falleen as Regional Capitals.

The Lars family were one of the few that were technically in the Republic to get a third form of news coming from Hutt Cartel. Anakin and Padme looked up at the holovid of several different records of the exodus and battle before Nal Hutta and the rest of the Y'toub System went dark. This alerted many of the networks on the Holonet as they copied the story, got their reporters on it and slotted it for Galactic wide news, but the posturing of both the Republic and the CIS delegated his declaration to the next day. Which got pushed from the morning to mid day and then afternoon and then to late night programs only to be rebroadcast in the middle of the night at the lowest viewer window on the least viewed channels.

AN: So here ends the Attack of the Clones though the clones never got to attack. Dooku took his droids and ran. The Jedi Order is still on the fence. The Hutt Cartel is facing an invasion that the rest of the Galaxy decided to ignore. All this is happening as Jenica Lour is about to get caught right in the middle.