Firestorm II
Chapter 7: Consequences
Cassiopeia sat inside the small interstellar sail ship inside a small hangar on Geonosis, waiting for Dooku. She'd been here for almost two hours and during that time, she'd attempted to keep from thinking. If she allowed herself thought, she knew she would talk herself out of going with him. After her encounter with Obi Wan, she'd been so heart broken and hurt by his final words that she had rashly made the decision to go with Dooku. In the back of her mind she knew she was attempting to run away from her pain and not confront it directly. She refused to allow herself to think about the long - term ramifications of her decision. Count Dooku had naturally been elated with her decision to leave Geonosis with him.
"I take it things didn't go as well as hoped with Obi Wan?" he'd asked her as he held her close.
Cassiopeia pulled away and looked at him. "There's nothing to say about him," she'd forced a smile at Dooku. "When do we depart?"
"Soon, love, soon," Dooku paused and looked at her. "As soon as I've attended to some final business, we'll be off."
"What business?"
Dooku sighed. "Apparently Senator Amidala and a Jedi Padawan have been captured spying on the Geonosians and there is to be a trial for them and Obi Wan," Dooku watched Cassi suck her breath in. "I will attend the trial and do my best to get them released," he lied to her. "I'm sure that the Galactic Empire does not want to begin a war with the Republic over the death of a Senator and I'm sure I can convince the Geonosians of that."
She smiled up at him, put her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. "Thank you," Cassi whispered. "Oh, thank you."
Now as she waited for him, she was suddenly filled with fear. What if he was lying to her? What if Obi Wan, Padme, and Anakin were to be killed and that had been the intention all along? She chided herself for putting her faith in a man she had not trusted in too many years to count. She could not desert her friends and leave them helpless despite the recent emotional beatings she'd taken from them.
Cassiopeia made up her mind to find her friends and assist them, regardless of the fact that Dooku had confiscated her blaster. She stood up and exited the ship. Just then, Dooku rushed into the hangar. His pilot droid was at a control panel, finishing up the last minute flight check. Dooku walked over to the control panel, gestured the droid away hurriedly, and finished up the check quickly. Cassiopeia noticed his impatience.
"What's wrong, D," she asked. "What happened to Obi Wan, Padme, and Anakin?"
"They're just fine dearest," he smiled sweetly at her. "Please get on board the ship, it is time to go."
Cassiopeia turned and re-entered the ship. Suddenly, she heard Anakin's voice from within the hangar, "You're gonna pay for all of the Jedi that you killed today, Dooku." Cassi was stunned, she could not believe her ears. Dooku killed Jedi? If that was true, he had lied to her and she could not leave with him, could not trust him. She peered through the window of the sail ship to observe the exchange between the Jedi and her husband.
Cassi watched as Anakin ignored his Master's plan and charged Dooku. Dooku threw him up against the wall with a burst of blue Force lightning unlike anything she'd ever seen or heard of before. Anakin slumped to the floor, pained and stunned. Then she watched in fear as Dooku challenged Obi Wan and they began to duel with their sabers. Cassi willed Obi Wan strength to defeat Dooku, but it didn't help. She watched in horror as Dooku's lightsaber slashed Obi Wan's upper arm and then his thigh. Cassi rushed to the ramp of the ship, intent on stopping Dooku. She saw Anakin leap to his Master's defense before Dooku could kill Obi Wan and Cassi breathed a sigh of relief. She watched Obi Wan throw Anakin his own lightsaber and Dooku and Anakin moved off to the opposite end of the hangar, blades arcing and hissing as they clashed. Obi Wan lowered his head to the floor and closed his eyes.
"Ben," Cassi called. She ran over to where he lay, knelt down next to him, cradled his head in her left hand and stroked his hair back off of his sweaty forehead with her right hand. "Ben," she whispered. "It's me. It's Cassi. Open your eyes, Ben, look at me."
Obi Wan's eyes opened slowly. She saw intense pain within them. "Cassi?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Sshh, don't talk," she bent and kissed his forehead. "It's going to be alright." She looked off in the direction of Anakin and Dooku. "I've got to get you out of here."
Obi Wan shook his head, "You were going to go with him, weren't you?" He inched away from her, out of her reach. "Leave me alone, Cassi. Go get on your husband's ship."
"No, Ben." Cassiopeia paused. They could not have this argument again. She decided to change topics. "Ben what happened today? What happened at the trial?" She had to know.
"What trial?" Obi Wan scoffed. "It was an execution, not a trial. Fortunately we received reinforcements just in time."
Cassiopeia's heart dropped. She'd been correct about Dooku all along. "Oh Ben, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
"You didn't want to know," he looked past her to watch Anakin and Dooku.
"That's not true," she was very upset over his judgments of her lately. His and Padme's as well. She was a good person, she did not deserve this. "He's lied to me, Ben, lied to me this whole time."
Obi Wan looked back at her. "Like husband, like wife, I suppose."
"Please stop that. I've explained that situation to you. It's not what you think."
"Apparently many relationships are not what I think lately." His eyes bored into her, sensing her emotions with the Force. He could feel her anguish and knew she meant what she said. His heart softened and he willed himself to put his hand on her arm, to show her that despite the fact she had hurt him, he believed her and was still her friend. But his hurt and his ego would not allow him to.
"Ben," Cassi whispered. "I do love you, no matter what you think of me right now, you are my one true love and you always will be. And I'm so sorry for everything that's happened. You must believe me."
"So, are you going with Dooku?" Obi Wan challenged.
Cassiopeia looked into his eyes. "I do not want to. But I fear that my friends have turned their backs on me and I have no where else to turn. I do not love him but he is the only one in my life right now offering friendship and security."
"Well, then I guess your decision is made," Obi Wan's pride replied. His desire to hurt her as she'd hurt him was unnatural to him, Jedi work to rise above the petty emotion of revenge. The problem was Cassi always invoked such deep emotion in him, emotion that he was usually unable to control.
Cassiopeia's eyes filled with tears, she leaned forward and kissed Obi Wan's mouth deeply. It had been ten years since they had kissed this way and memories and longing suddenly flashed back to him. His pride melted away and exposed the true love he felt for her. That love could not be denied and, regardless of the outcomes and consequences, he knew he must tell her his true feelings. He knew he must stop pushing her away and let her in, he must stop hurting her. In the instant that Obi Wan reached out to touch her, Cassiopeia broke away from him, stood up and without looking at him, walked resolutely into Dooku's ship.
"Cassi, wait," Obi Wan called, but his call was lost in the commotion of Anakin's and Dooku's finished fight. Anakin's arm was severed and he was Force - pushed. He came to lie next to Obi Wan, head on his boot. Obi Wan knew this was the end, Dooku had won. He looked at his Padawan, who seemed to be unconscious, and anguish spread through him. Anguish at his failures. He had failed the Jedi Council, he had failed Anakin, he had failed Qui Gon, and he had failed Cassi. Obi Wan willed the end to be quick. He closed his eyes and meditated in the Force.
Some time later, unknowing how much time had passed, Obi Wan came out of his reverie and looked around. To his astonishment, he saw Master Yoda in a fight with Dooku. Obi Wan grinned slightly as he watch the Jedi Master leap and twirl and parry each of Dooku's blows. Obi Wan then looked at his Padawan who appeared to be stirring slightly. Then he looked to the sail ship and he could sense Cassi inside. Obi Wan made a move to get up, immense pain bolted down his injured arm and leg, but he ignored it, he had to get to that ship and get Cassi out.
As he began to rise, Dooku used the Force to pull a giant steel column over and it began to fall onto Obi Wan and Anakin. Obi Wan rolled over back over and used the Force to keep it from plummeting down upon them. Anakin seemed to regain consciousness and he added his use of the Force to the column. But they were weak from their injuries, they could barely keep the column from smashing down upon them. Master Yoda came to their rescue and through the Force, threw the column from above them into a separate section of the hangar. Obi Wan and Anakin laid their heads down, gasping for air, exhausted.
Dooku raced up the ramp to his ship, disappeared inside, the ship lifted up and was gone. Obi Wan rolled over onto his stomach to watch its ascent.
"NO! CASSI!" he screamed after it. But he was too late, she was gone.
The End
Author's Note: A sequel, my version of Episode III is in the works.
Chapter 7: Consequences
Cassiopeia sat inside the small interstellar sail ship inside a small hangar on Geonosis, waiting for Dooku. She'd been here for almost two hours and during that time, she'd attempted to keep from thinking. If she allowed herself thought, she knew she would talk herself out of going with him. After her encounter with Obi Wan, she'd been so heart broken and hurt by his final words that she had rashly made the decision to go with Dooku. In the back of her mind she knew she was attempting to run away from her pain and not confront it directly. She refused to allow herself to think about the long - term ramifications of her decision. Count Dooku had naturally been elated with her decision to leave Geonosis with him.
"I take it things didn't go as well as hoped with Obi Wan?" he'd asked her as he held her close.
Cassiopeia pulled away and looked at him. "There's nothing to say about him," she'd forced a smile at Dooku. "When do we depart?"
"Soon, love, soon," Dooku paused and looked at her. "As soon as I've attended to some final business, we'll be off."
"What business?"
Dooku sighed. "Apparently Senator Amidala and a Jedi Padawan have been captured spying on the Geonosians and there is to be a trial for them and Obi Wan," Dooku watched Cassi suck her breath in. "I will attend the trial and do my best to get them released," he lied to her. "I'm sure that the Galactic Empire does not want to begin a war with the Republic over the death of a Senator and I'm sure I can convince the Geonosians of that."
She smiled up at him, put her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. "Thank you," Cassi whispered. "Oh, thank you."
Now as she waited for him, she was suddenly filled with fear. What if he was lying to her? What if Obi Wan, Padme, and Anakin were to be killed and that had been the intention all along? She chided herself for putting her faith in a man she had not trusted in too many years to count. She could not desert her friends and leave them helpless despite the recent emotional beatings she'd taken from them.
Cassiopeia made up her mind to find her friends and assist them, regardless of the fact that Dooku had confiscated her blaster. She stood up and exited the ship. Just then, Dooku rushed into the hangar. His pilot droid was at a control panel, finishing up the last minute flight check. Dooku walked over to the control panel, gestured the droid away hurriedly, and finished up the check quickly. Cassiopeia noticed his impatience.
"What's wrong, D," she asked. "What happened to Obi Wan, Padme, and Anakin?"
"They're just fine dearest," he smiled sweetly at her. "Please get on board the ship, it is time to go."
Cassiopeia turned and re-entered the ship. Suddenly, she heard Anakin's voice from within the hangar, "You're gonna pay for all of the Jedi that you killed today, Dooku." Cassi was stunned, she could not believe her ears. Dooku killed Jedi? If that was true, he had lied to her and she could not leave with him, could not trust him. She peered through the window of the sail ship to observe the exchange between the Jedi and her husband.
Cassi watched as Anakin ignored his Master's plan and charged Dooku. Dooku threw him up against the wall with a burst of blue Force lightning unlike anything she'd ever seen or heard of before. Anakin slumped to the floor, pained and stunned. Then she watched in fear as Dooku challenged Obi Wan and they began to duel with their sabers. Cassi willed Obi Wan strength to defeat Dooku, but it didn't help. She watched in horror as Dooku's lightsaber slashed Obi Wan's upper arm and then his thigh. Cassi rushed to the ramp of the ship, intent on stopping Dooku. She saw Anakin leap to his Master's defense before Dooku could kill Obi Wan and Cassi breathed a sigh of relief. She watched Obi Wan throw Anakin his own lightsaber and Dooku and Anakin moved off to the opposite end of the hangar, blades arcing and hissing as they clashed. Obi Wan lowered his head to the floor and closed his eyes.
"Ben," Cassi called. She ran over to where he lay, knelt down next to him, cradled his head in her left hand and stroked his hair back off of his sweaty forehead with her right hand. "Ben," she whispered. "It's me. It's Cassi. Open your eyes, Ben, look at me."
Obi Wan's eyes opened slowly. She saw intense pain within them. "Cassi?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Sshh, don't talk," she bent and kissed his forehead. "It's going to be alright." She looked off in the direction of Anakin and Dooku. "I've got to get you out of here."
Obi Wan shook his head, "You were going to go with him, weren't you?" He inched away from her, out of her reach. "Leave me alone, Cassi. Go get on your husband's ship."
"No, Ben." Cassiopeia paused. They could not have this argument again. She decided to change topics. "Ben what happened today? What happened at the trial?" She had to know.
"What trial?" Obi Wan scoffed. "It was an execution, not a trial. Fortunately we received reinforcements just in time."
Cassiopeia's heart dropped. She'd been correct about Dooku all along. "Oh Ben, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
"You didn't want to know," he looked past her to watch Anakin and Dooku.
"That's not true," she was very upset over his judgments of her lately. His and Padme's as well. She was a good person, she did not deserve this. "He's lied to me, Ben, lied to me this whole time."
Obi Wan looked back at her. "Like husband, like wife, I suppose."
"Please stop that. I've explained that situation to you. It's not what you think."
"Apparently many relationships are not what I think lately." His eyes bored into her, sensing her emotions with the Force. He could feel her anguish and knew she meant what she said. His heart softened and he willed himself to put his hand on her arm, to show her that despite the fact she had hurt him, he believed her and was still her friend. But his hurt and his ego would not allow him to.
"Ben," Cassi whispered. "I do love you, no matter what you think of me right now, you are my one true love and you always will be. And I'm so sorry for everything that's happened. You must believe me."
"So, are you going with Dooku?" Obi Wan challenged.
Cassiopeia looked into his eyes. "I do not want to. But I fear that my friends have turned their backs on me and I have no where else to turn. I do not love him but he is the only one in my life right now offering friendship and security."
"Well, then I guess your decision is made," Obi Wan's pride replied. His desire to hurt her as she'd hurt him was unnatural to him, Jedi work to rise above the petty emotion of revenge. The problem was Cassi always invoked such deep emotion in him, emotion that he was usually unable to control.
Cassiopeia's eyes filled with tears, she leaned forward and kissed Obi Wan's mouth deeply. It had been ten years since they had kissed this way and memories and longing suddenly flashed back to him. His pride melted away and exposed the true love he felt for her. That love could not be denied and, regardless of the outcomes and consequences, he knew he must tell her his true feelings. He knew he must stop pushing her away and let her in, he must stop hurting her. In the instant that Obi Wan reached out to touch her, Cassiopeia broke away from him, stood up and without looking at him, walked resolutely into Dooku's ship.
"Cassi, wait," Obi Wan called, but his call was lost in the commotion of Anakin's and Dooku's finished fight. Anakin's arm was severed and he was Force - pushed. He came to lie next to Obi Wan, head on his boot. Obi Wan knew this was the end, Dooku had won. He looked at his Padawan, who seemed to be unconscious, and anguish spread through him. Anguish at his failures. He had failed the Jedi Council, he had failed Anakin, he had failed Qui Gon, and he had failed Cassi. Obi Wan willed the end to be quick. He closed his eyes and meditated in the Force.
Some time later, unknowing how much time had passed, Obi Wan came out of his reverie and looked around. To his astonishment, he saw Master Yoda in a fight with Dooku. Obi Wan grinned slightly as he watch the Jedi Master leap and twirl and parry each of Dooku's blows. Obi Wan then looked at his Padawan who appeared to be stirring slightly. Then he looked to the sail ship and he could sense Cassi inside. Obi Wan made a move to get up, immense pain bolted down his injured arm and leg, but he ignored it, he had to get to that ship and get Cassi out.
As he began to rise, Dooku used the Force to pull a giant steel column over and it began to fall onto Obi Wan and Anakin. Obi Wan rolled over back over and used the Force to keep it from plummeting down upon them. Anakin seemed to regain consciousness and he added his use of the Force to the column. But they were weak from their injuries, they could barely keep the column from smashing down upon them. Master Yoda came to their rescue and through the Force, threw the column from above them into a separate section of the hangar. Obi Wan and Anakin laid their heads down, gasping for air, exhausted.
Dooku raced up the ramp to his ship, disappeared inside, the ship lifted up and was gone. Obi Wan rolled over onto his stomach to watch its ascent.
"NO! CASSI!" he screamed after it. But he was too late, she was gone.
The End
Author's Note: A sequel, my version of Episode III is in the works.