CHAPTER 7
The arena on Geonosis is most commonly a sight of the favorite sporting event of the
Geonosians, if it could be called a sport. It was built to view the most vicious animals on
Geonosis as well as from all around the galaxy battle to the death. When the occasion
arises, it is also the scene of executions where the one to be executed is either free inside
the arena able to defend himself, or he is chained to a post unable to defend himself. Then
the beast or beasts are released. There is no regulation determining if the soon to be corpse
is free or chained or as to how many beasts are released at one time. These factors are all
determined by the Arena Master whose sole job is to insure an enjoyable show. When an
execution is occurring, such as today, in the arena attendance is mandatory for all in the
Confederacy of Independent Systems base.
Count Dooku, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin, the Jedi Order of the CIS, sat in their box
seats over looking the arena. On this sweltering day, three Geonosians who are not members
of the CIS headquarters were found in the camp stealing anything that they thought they would
be able to sell. The aspiring businessmen were captured by a squad of skeletal looking battle
droids and held in solitary for two days in a pitch black cell in the bowels of the CIS headquarters.
They had been given nothing to drink and only ate whatever small insects and rodents happened
into their individual cells.
On this their final day, they stood in the sweltering heat wing bound to prevent them from
escaping with no knowledge of what was happening. The guards who came and retrieved
them from their cells had the personality of the battle droids that captured them. The
guards didn't say a word to the prisoners and only prodded them with electric prods when
they asked questions. Now they stood facing each other with fearful and wondering looks
on their faces but not saying anything.
Then on the far side of the arena, huge steel doors lifted and a single Nexu was released.
The spade headed feline like creature exited its staging area with a bounding leap. It
stopped and looked around the arena to see how big lunch was going to be. The
Geonosians all knew what this beast was since it is native to their home world and scattered.
The Nexu charged the closest prisoner. Panic gripped him and he froze where he stood as the
Nexu tore his head off of his shoulders with one bite. The already boisterous crowed became
even louder with cheers derived from bloodlust.
After this the ravenous beast set its sight on the second prisoner. The prisoner ran as fast as his
legs would take him, but it wasn't fast enough. The Nexu tore off his right leg with one rip
sending him into a short flight which ended with him lying on the ground face down in too great
of shock to scream in fright or pain. The Nexu's pace slowed as he stood over his victim. Then
it plunged its head right into his back tearing out the prisoner's insides. With this death the
crowd became even louder yet.
Once the prisoner's death spasms subsided the Nexu turned its attention to the last living prisoner.
The one marked for death also ran as fast as he could. Without means to defend himself what
else was he to do. The Nexu closed the distance with ease and with the sickly sound of ripping
flesh the prisoner joined his thieving friends. The roar from the crowd reached a fever pitch and
slowly died down as the spectators slowly exited. As usual those in the box seats were the last to
leave through their private tunnel entrance.
The door to Anakin's quarters slid open and Qui-Gon strode in. The sight of Anakin packing some
of his outfits came as a surprise to him.
"Anakin? I don't remember having a mission slated?" He inquired.
"The news about Padme has me disturbed master. I can't fathom why someone would want
her dead."
"Nor I Anakin, but our acquaintance with her is ten years old. We no longer have any business
with her."
"I know master. However, I still feel that I might be able to help her."
"What happens to the Republic or those who lead it is no longer our concern my Padawan."
Qui-Gon countered.
"No, but making systems realize just how corrupt the Republic is, is our business."
"True as that may be, we've already tried with Naboo and met with failure. I don't see how
going to see her will make a difference." Qui-Gon continued.
"Our discussions with the Naboo have been contained to just a few dissident groups. Groups
that feel that they have been left behind and ignored by the mainstream population.
Count Dooku never met with those who rule the planet or its representation to Coruscant."
Anakin argued.
"That's my point. Master Dooku decides who he talks to, not us. We never have handled
discussions of the diplomatic level since joining the Confederacy. That is Master Dooku's
domain. Ours is turning the populace against the Republic."
"And why is it that Master Dooku never opened up discussion with Senator Amidala?"
Anakin inquired.
"I don't know, and it isn't my place to question. He is the most powerful and wisest of us, he
knows why he does what he does." Qui-Gon answered.
"But she is the leading voice opposed to the creation of an Army of the Republic. With
voices like hers inside the Republic, it could do our cause an immeasurable amount of good."
"That is true, but with Obi-Wan already gone speaking to the Hutts on Nal Hutta and Nar
Shaddaa you'll be cutting the Jedi presence here pretty low."
"I know master. But if I can keep her alive and persuade her to see things our way, just imagine
the ally she would make by staying inside the Republic."
"We have our spies already in the Senate. Why do we need her?"
"She wouldn't be just a functionary shuffling paper. She can argue our case and perhaps swing
more systems against the Republic from the Senate Chambers."
Qui-Gon sighed heavily and said, "I can't fault your arguments, however higher up negotiations
belong to Master Dooku, not to us. It has been that way all along and it has worked well that way."
"But he hasn't gone and spoken to the Naboo yet. That's my point. He doesn't plan on it. We have
to take the initiative to make this happen."
Qui-Gon ran his hand through his hair and said, "Ok. You may go, however you're going by yourself.
I have to stay here incase Master Dooku decides on another mission for me. I want it clear that I do
not like this. You had better be back fast, I mean make contact and then come right back. No side
trips, no nothing. There and back. Understand me?"
Anakin nodded his head in agreement and said, "Yes master."
"Come, I'll walk you to your ship."
The two unknowingly dark Jedi, teacher and student walked to the unattractive and bulky freighter
whose former captain and owner ran afoul of battle droids on Galantos and would never need this
or any other ship again which now served as Anakin's personal vessel.
Anakin stopped on the boarding ramp and turned to face his master when Qui-Gon said, "Anakin,
may the Force be with you."
"And you master." Anakin said turning once again towards his ship and continuing inside.
Once inside he sat behind the controls, nervousness and giddiness taking over at the prospect of seeing
the beautiful Padme again after so many years. Anakin engaged the lift thrusters and activated the
engines and was gone.
Qui-Gon stood there until after his Padawan was out of sight when his comlink beeped.
"Go ahead." Qui-Gon answered the comlink.
"Qui-Gon, I need you in the detention center right away." Dooku said matter of factly.
"I'm on my way." Qui-Gon responded, closing down his comlink and placing it in his pocket before
Count Dooku had a chance to say anything else if he intended to.
The Jedi Master walked quickly but not hurriedly to the CIS detention center. Once he was there he
saw his former master and a squid face Quarren. Qui-Gon recognized this alien being as a Republic
Jedi Master named Tesses Oar that was being held in a force field. Only instead of Jedi robes that the
Republic Jedi wears he was dressed in normal everyday clothing which was common for all non-Jedi
members of the Confederacy.
"Qui-Gon, how has your day been?" Dooku inquired as if there wasn't a prisoner being held within
arms reach of him.
"Not bad at all. However it appears not to have been near as interesting as yours." He answered
nodding to the captive.
"Ah him. A Republic spy that was captured by a computer relay intercepting an unauthorized
comburst to Coruscant. The computer relay traced the comburst back to source and dispatched a squad
of battle droids. None survived the encounter however the last one standing did manage to stun him at
the same time it went down. Do you know him?" Dooku responded.
"I'm afraid I do. He is a Republic Jedi named Tesses Oar."
Dooku looked thoughtful as he said, "Ah, from the corrupted order."
Master Oar looked at both of his captors and said, "I'm from a corrupted order? You're both servants
of the dark, what room do you have to speak of corruption."
Qui-Gon looked incredulously at the prisoner and said, "We are servants of the dark? You're the one
who serves a Senate which is increasingly falling under the control of a Dark Lord of the sith. Our
order exists to restore what the true Jedi order was and to defeat the sith."
Both Qui-Gon and Tesses missed the smug smirk that comment brought to Dooku's face.
"Still going on about the Sith I see," Oar responded, "We did not believe it back when you were still
a Jedi and we do not now. The only threat posed to the Republic is you and your Separatist friends."
"Oh believe me my friend. The Sith do exist still, they've just been laying dormant for the last
millennia." Dooku added to the conversation, "How is it that you ended up here anyway?"
"One of our Jedi chased a Clawdite assassin slash bounty hunter who had made a second attempt on
the life of Senator Amidala," Tesses said then added sarcastically, "Something I'm sure you know
nothing about." Then he continued in his normal tone of voice, "He missed the assassin's death but
found a poisoned dart which he traced to a world called Kamino. After a lot of searching he found
Kamino and paid the world a visit. Where he discovered a cloning facility which was producing a
clone army for the Republic, an army which the Republic never ordered. That master then followed
another bounty hunter named Jango Fett to this world. After intelligence from Mon Calamari
informed us that the Quarrens had joined your Seperatists the Jedi Council placed me here to gather
more intelligence from the source."
"How dare you accuse us of being behind a plot to assassinate a Republic Senator? All we want is to
peacefully be able to leave the Republic with our member worlds, create our own government and
eliminate the sith threat from our midst." Qui-Gon said his voice full of venom and his anger building
past the point it had ever been before.
He then looked at Dooku and said, "Let him loose. I'll take care of this spy myself." The anger in his
voice was no longer concealed.
Dooku smiled a self satisfied smile and said in a smug tone of voice, "As you wish." He then pushed a
button on the computer console which disengaged the force field.
Qui-Gon unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, ignited it and said, "Are you ready to die false Jedi?"
Jedi Master Tesses Oar kneeled down and detached his lightsaber from where it was concealed at his
ankle. He ignited his and said, "If there is no other way to bring you around Qui-Gon."
The two combatants cautiously circled each other.
Tesses broke the stand off with an arcing sweep of his lightsaber to Qui-Gon's right side. Using
speed that can only be derived from the Force Qui-Gon blocked the attack with his own blade,
and then countered with an over the head stroke which Tesses blocked.
The exchange of blows and blocks continued until Qui-Gon reached out with the Force to grab a
hold of Tesses's ankles and pulled them forward causing Tesses to land on his back. Qui-Gon
came after the fallen Jedi with a stroke of his lightsaber, however Tesses had different plans.
He called on the Force using it to roll backwards over his head landing on his feet.
Tesses summoned the Force into a Force push sending Qui-Gon flying backwards into the
computer terminal causing Dooku to have to dive for cover to avoid being taken out by his
fledgling Sith.
Summoning the Force Qui-Gon leaped back to his feet. The two combatants charged each
other locking their blades together. Stroke after stroke, parry and parry, block after block the
battle continued.
The physical toll from the battle wore on Qui-Gon faster then Tesses. Tesses moved forward
while Qui-Gon was forced to defend himself while backing up at the same time not tripping
over anything behind him but yet having to keep his attention and Force awareness directed on
the Jedi who had gained the upper hand in the situation.
Sensing the budding fear of death, plus the anger and hatred towards in Qui-Gon toward his
opponent Count Dooku shouted, "Give yourself completely to the dark Qui-Gon. It is the
only way you can win. Let go of your fear, let go of your anger, let go of your hatred and
defeat the false Jedi. Show him our way is much more powerful then those who call
themselves the protectors of the Republic."
Qui-Gon heard his master's words and knew instantly that he was right. The only way that
he was going to experience victory over Jedi Master Tesses Oar was to give himself over to
the dark side of the Force, the forbidden side of the Force according to the Code of the
Republic Jedi.
In that instant, Qui-Gon dropped his lightsaber and internalized all the fear, anger and hatred
he was experiencing and let it all come out in the form of Force lightening. The blue beams
of energy shot out of his finger tips and into Tesses Oar who hadn't reacted fast enough to
block it.
Tesses's lightsaber flew from his hands and he was instantly enveloped in a wracking pain
from the highest point on his head to the lowest point on all of his extremities. The Jedi
Master fell to the ground, unable to do anything but convulse in pain and scream in agony.
Unlike the time ten years ago when Qui-Gon found himself in the same position that Tesses
was now in, Master Oar had no one to save him.
Qui-Gon recalled his experience at being on the receiving end of Force Lighting and poured
all of the fear he had in what he thought were in final moments into his attack making the
pain that Tesses was experiencing even all the more unbearable.
The emotions used to draw this attack created a physical change in Qui-Gon. The shock of
the experience to his physical system turned Qui-Gon's hair as white as the snow on Hoth.
Tesses Oar also experienced physical change. His skin slowly became charred black. He fell
to the ground while his body was still convulsing from the dark side strikes, he was no longer
screaming in agony. Tesses Oar was now one with the Force and Qui-Gon was now one with
the Sith.
The Force attack disappeared from Qui-Gon's hands as Darth Tyranus also known as Count
Dooku walked to the newly minted Sith and placed his arm around Qui-Gon's shoulders saying,
"Your one of us now. A Sith you've become and true mastery of the Force you'll experience.
Something the puny Jedi will never truly know. Your name with myself or my master will be
Darth Baseious, however around everyone else you will remain Qui-Gon Jinn for the time being.
While Qui-Gon gives himself over completely to the dark side of the Force on the fringes of the
universe, Anakin turns his ungainly freighter into its final approach in the galactic core. The ship
hovered over its assigned landing pad as its landing thrusters engaged and rocked the ship back
and forth slightly. Finally after a couple of minutes passed the ship began to slowly loose its lift
and it settled smoothly onto the landing pad.
The freighter's boarding ramp lowered and Anakin Skywalker debarked. From the other end of
the landing pad he was approached by two men dressed in the standard brown of the Naboo
Security Forces and Jar Jar Binks, the Gungan he had first met ten years ago when the Trade
Federation attacked Naboo and Anakin's life changed for all time.
"Ani, messsa bustin witin happiness to see you again." Jar Jar greeted Anakin when they were close
enough for formal greetings. Anakin hadn't seen Jar Jar in the years since he had left the Republic's
Jedi Order with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and he looked pretty much the same only now he was dressed
in the robes of a duly elected Representative of the Naboo.
"It's good to see you again to Jar Jar." Anakin replied although his feelings towards the annoying
Gungan did not match his words.
One of the security officers, a balding middle age man, chimed in and gruffly said, "Mr. Skywalker,
Senator Amidala was surprised when you transmitted your request to see her from Coruscant's orbit
and with everything that has occurred in recent days she does not have much time to take visitors.
We need to cut the formalities and pleasantries and continue on."
Anakin didn't attempt to conceal the contempt for the officer showing on his face, bowed his head and
said, "Lead the way."
With that, the three humans and one alien headed to the hover car the awaited them, sat down with the
two security officers in the front seat and the Naboo Representative and renegade Jedi in the backseat.
The car's repulsor engines engaged and it hovered briefly and then moved on towards the Naboo
Consulate.
"Wassa bringins yousa to Coruscant Ani?" Jar Jar asked.
Unknown to the Gungan, Anakin was using the force to weaken the strands in his seat restraint.
"I haven't seen the Senator in a long time. I thought I'd stop by for a visit." Is how Anakin replied.
Once Jar Jar's seat restraint was sufficiently weakened Ani turned his Force abilities onto the hover
car's engine.
"Shea gonna be happy to see you." Jar Jar said.
Anakin was too focused on his task at hand to pretend any more interest in or respond to what Jar
Jar was saying. Then out of nowhere, the hover car's engine sputtered, struggled to stay running
and then gave up the struggle. The car plunged quickly down the layers of sky lane traffic. When
the hover car first started to dive, Jar Jar's seat restraint failed and he was launched up and away
from the hover car.
Anakin watched Jar Jar fly away and once he was far enough away for the guards to save him
Anakin used to Force to quickly restart the hover car's engine. The only emotion towards the
death of Jar Jar Binks that Anakin felt was to think, "I never did like you."