Ch. 7 Aggression
Anakin walked into the throne room, flanked by Yuuzhan Vong guards. The Vong had hailed him and told him that the Warmaster had Padme and was awaiting his arrival. Anakin could see that the Warmaster was trembling with malicious glee as he approached. Count Dooku, standing beside him, was smirking sardonically. However, the Neimoidian Nute Gunray didn't seem to like the idea of a Jedi being brought right in front of him and was visibly trembling.
Czulkang Lah snarled, "Anakin Skywalker, I have Padme Amidala in my custody…or should I say Padme Amidala Skywalker."
Anakin's eyes widened in horror. "How…how…" he stuttered. Lah grinned again and replied "It is not important. What is important is what we do to her." He motioned to a subaltern, who then spoke into a villip. Several guards walked in, dragging Padme between them. Her hair was ragged, as were her clothes, she seemed to be bruised and battered, and could barely lift her head and gasp, "Anakin…"
"NOOOO!!!!!!!!" roared Anakin. He rushed at Czulkang Lah, but was blocked by several amphistaffs. Dooku chuckled at the Padawan. Czulkang Lah said, "Remember, your mate's life now depends on my decision. Oh, as well as the lives of your unborn twins."
This stopped Anakin dead in his tracks. "Twins?" he asked. Czulkang Lah replied, "A boy and a girl, it seems." Padme managed to say, "Anakin, I meant to tell you when we evacuated Naboo, but then I was captured, and…"
Dooku said, "The choice is yours, young Skywalker. You can either duel the Warmaster, or watch as your wife and unborn children die."
Before Anakin could reply, an explosion shook the palace and a hole burst open in the wall, the debris hitting a few Vong. A stream of Jedi led my Mace Windu and Yoda rushed into the room. They had all ignited their lightsabers and were now busily hacking at the guards. Dooku roared in anger. Nute Gunray pointed at Padme and screeched, "Kill her! KILL HER!!!!!" The Vong guards restraining Padme ignored him. Even though the Vong were allied with the Separatists, they never took orders from Neimoidians.
Mace rushed at Lah and Yoda rushed towards Dooku. They ceased a hair's breath away from their enemies. The Jedi and the remaining Vong stood silently. Padme whimpered. Lah growled, "So what will it be, Jeedai?" Mace steadied his purple lightsaber and replied, "That's up to you. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Either way, you lose."
Dooku ignited his red lightsaber and snarled, "It won't be that easy!" he leaped at Yoda.
Yoda's green blade met Dooku's red one and the two engaged in a duel. Everyone stood silently watching them, except Anakin who muttered, "Yoda vs. Dooku Round Two."
Yoda leaped into the air and Dooku followed, spraying Force lightning out of his left hand as he swung at the diminutive Jedi Master with his right. Yoda caught the lightning with his bare hand, using the Force to drain its power, and blocked every move Dooku made with his lightsaber.
Dooku, who was by now furious roared again and attempted to slice Yoda's head off. Yoda blocked and instead regained the initiative, leaped into the air and sliced Dooku's right arm off from the elbow down.
Dooku collapsed to the floor. Czulkang Lah said, "Impressive display. But I'm afraid you won't stop us that easily. He pressed an organic trigger on the side of his cognition throne. There was a burst of smoke and a blinding flash of light.
When it cleared up, the Vong and Separatists were gone. Thankfully, they had left Padme behind. Anakin rushed to her side and helped her to her feet. Yoda muttered, "Time to leave, it is."
***
Obi-Wan and Siri rushed across the top of Tipoca City, the rain pouring down on them and sliding down the yorik coral rooftop. Siri had the green pod containing one of the dog-reptile embryos they had seen in the cloning lab slung across her back like a backpack. There was a landing pad here. Obi-Wan slashed the last guard and he and Siri rushed for the nearest coralskipper.
And they were stopped dead in their tracks by a dark presence in the Force. The two Jedi Knights turned around to face this new threat and gasped because it wasn't a new threat at all.
It was Xanatos.