Author's Notes: This has taken me forever… and it hasn't covered the whole battle, or ought, that continues from the Jedi arriving to the Clone Wars – but most of that's irrelevant. I just wrote as much as I could and thought I should, so I hope it makes sense and suffices.
Skywalker Blue: Well, as long as you can follow it, I must be doing something right! ^_^ I wasn't too keen on this chapter, either – the beginning part in particular – but I'm slowly getting through to the parts of the story where I can have more freedom.
Xing: Is that you, Seth? Anyway, thanks – I'm glad you liked the last chappy! I sure didn't! ^_~ But I'm fussy…
Heather Wan: Newbie! *waves* Hmm… you wait to see what's bubbling in my head for after Chapter 6! It's not nice! Mwa ha ha! Anyway, thankyou so much for your compliments! I do try damn hard to make these fics legible, and I'm happy to see that you're enjoying it.
MerryMoll: Faithful friend! I've been ill for a week, so I'm a lil behind on the Internet, and reading stuff. I'll try get back on reading your fic again soon! And there's more evil Dooku to come… not yet, but soon, I think.
Side note!: I have read through this several times, but I cannot guarantee absolutely no mistakes! I just found some in chapter 1, so there must be some in here!
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"ECLIPSE"
Part 6
Lightsabres whirled. Guns fired. Metal and flesh fell to the floor. Chaos rocked the stadium walls as the party of Jedi, hoping to come to the rescue of Kenobi – and now Skywalker and Amidala – were caught up in a vain and horrific battle.
The terrified Reek and Acklay leapt about in frenzy, guns firing loudly about them. Their lives had been a living Hell, and things didn't look to be improving any time soon. The Reek swung its head about, knocking Jedi and Geonosians alike out of its way, roaring in agony as crossing laser fire ricocheted off of its tough hide. The Acklay was just as confused and afraid, and did its best to defend itself with its gargantuan fore-claws, as threatening creatures of both flesh and metal surrounded it.
The Jedi were skilled fighters, but it wasn't enough to save them; there was so much laser fire emitting from the wealth of Battle Droids, Droidekas and Super Battle Droids that filled the arena that many were completely overwhelmed. Kenobi backed up into the arena's centre, and stood by Windu, desperately deflecting all of the laser fire that came at him. Anakin, meanwhile, had decided to go for a typically reckless offensive assault, and leapt swiftly into the heat of the action, swinging his green blade skilfully about him. Battle Droids fell in halves all around him, though the Super Battle Droids proved more competent, and kept their distance, simply hammering him with rapid fire. This he deflected back toward them, hoping to find some kind of weak spot…
Padmé watched the goings on with a deeply set cringe from above – she hated battles…
Suddenly, though, she yelped in shock, as a Jedi, with a dinosaur-like head, leapt up to the edge of the dignitary box with an incredible Force-aided jump, holding its green lightsabre at the ready! It wasn't the first thing you expected when you were so far up from the ground…
Dooku, still stood close behind Amidala, merely looked at the Knight sternly, and held his ground. The saurian Jedi blinked unsurely, warily looking at the Separatist leader, before deciding to take one step forward toward him and his companion… but that was enough. Jango, from behind the Count, took his gun swiftly from its sheath by his thigh, and shot the unsuspecting Jedi in the heart. It buckled and groaned, dropping its lightsabre, before toppling back down to the floor far below, dead.
Dooku grinned grimly, nodding toward Jango. The bounty hunter twirled his gun about in his grasp, and replaced it by his side.
Padmé swallowed hard, inhaling deeply – that had not been in the least bit pleasant; "There must be a way to solve this without being so barbaric," she said to Dooku, finally finding her voice, "Can't we find a diplomatic solution to this?"
"Diplomatic?" Dooku scoffed, "You call a legion of Jedi 'gate crashing' a public event –"
"A public event? We're talking about an execution!" she snapped abruptly.
"On a planet where it is entirely legal," the Count reminded her.
She paused, hesitating.
Dooku nodded then slowly went on, "As I was saying, a legion of Jedi ambush a legal Geonosian affair, fully armed, and make little effort to negotiate civilly… well, who exactly is in the wrong…?"
"They're trying to save their allies!" Padmé stated.
"Who were also in the wrong" Dooku continued, "All three of you were spying or trespassing in some way, and you all knew it…"
Padmé sighed, shaking her head gently – it wasn't easy winning an argument with this guy.
"To be honest with you, my dear," he went on, "I'm sickened that the Jedi have fallen so low… I'm sure that this kind of offensive would never have even been considered in my day. I believe that I left that crumbling Order at just the right time."
"So, had you been in their position, you would happily have left your friends to die? Is that what the 'esteemed' Master Dooku would have done?" she asked him with contempt.
He tightened his grip on her, digging his fingers into just below her collarbone. She gritted her teeth, and tried not to show the discomfort he was causing her.
"My dear, do not try my patience," he warned her austerely.
Jango suddenly decided that his time to participate in the battle had come; activating his jet pack, he soared off of the balcony to the arena below. Boba watched his father vigilantly from his cover in the rocky crevice, nearby the audacious Count.
The Reek was beginning to suffer from complete panic, and it made a storming charge at Kenobi and Windu. The two Jedi looked vacantly at the bull-like creature hurtling toward them.
"That doesn't look good," Kenobi dryly remarked as the ground shook under its approaching thunderous steps.
"No, it doesn't," Mace understatedly replied, giving Kenobi a quick glance, before turning and running in the opposite direction. Obi-Wan stood his ground, hoping that the creature may run about him – but the Reek was far from cowed by the small Jedi's stalwart presence; it knocked him to the side with a toss of its head, tearing passed him, and rushing on to pursue Windu.
Kenobi groaned as he hit the floor, clutching his shoulder where the creature had struck him. He spluttered some sand from his mouth, and shook some more of the irritating stuff from his hair before he glanced up to see how Windu was fairing. The Jedi Master was still on the run. Kenobi sighed, groaning as he forced his aching limbs to support his full weight again, getting back to his feet; it was turning one to be one of those really bad days…
The Reek was catching up with Windu, knocking Droidekas and Battle Droids flying as it ploughed through them, and soon Mace recognised the ineffectuality of his flight. The land quaked as the creature rapidly drew nearer from behind, its heated, heavy breaths thrashing against the back of his robes. Windu decided to take a gamble: he leapt about in the air, swung his sabre round toward the Reek, and speedily rolled out of its path.
The creature roared as the Jedi successfully knocked one of its horns off, and it skidded to a halt in confusion, shaking its head as its balance shifted now it lacked one giant horn.
Windu inhaled deeply, landing flat out on his back, and hastily got himself back onto his feet. He then realised he'd dropped his lightsabre. Turning about, he spotted his weapon hilt lay across the sandy floor – but then Jango entered the fray!
Fett deactivated his jet pack, landing but a metre or so from Mace's lightsabre, and made a dive for the Jedi's weapon, knowing that close range combat with a sabre-wielding Jedi was all but impossible – if he took the Jedi's weapon, he had a better chance of success. And he'd had his eyes set on killing this Jedi since the battle had begun.
Windu was completely unmoved by the bounty hunter's presence, however, and merely opened his hand before him, summoning upon the power of the Force and smoothly drawing his weapon hilt back into his grasp. As the sabre flew from the ground, Jango hit it, his efforts to snatch it in vain. Windu grasped his lightsabre again hard, and reactivated its purple blade, giving Jango the 'you'll have to do better' stare.
Fett made an evident growl, slapping the sandy ground, irritated by Windu's cocksure manner. He leapt angrily back onto his feet, about to take a gun from his belt to return an assault, when suddenly the Reek came back into the game. Mace wanted no more of that beast, so wheeled about out of the creature's path as it careered back toward him, and left Jango to it.
Fett only had time to turn around before the beast drove into him with its powerful skull! The bounty hunter yelled, and was tossed several metres through the air, before he came crashing back onto the floor – and even then, the Reek was still upon him! He knew he'd be trampled if he didn't keep his wits about him. Jango was unable to get up in time, so to prevent being crushed by the beast's incoming feet, he rolled across the floor in time with it, managing to dodge them as they stampeded about him. He skilfully travelled under its running legs until he managed to free himself from underneath it, and rolled out into the open.
Even more bewildered that the silver-clad man hadn't been flattened beneath it, the Reek halted and turned about, charging once more at the bounty hunter with a vicious roar! Jango had no time to recover or breathe a sigh of relief after the last attack, so had no choice but to quickly refocus on the moment; he whipped a gun from his side and shot the Reek several times in the head. The creature's skin was broken, its delicate flesh seared, and its brain damaged; it groaned its last, and stumbled to the floor just short of the bounty hunter, falling upon a couple of bodies of two deceased Jedi. Its mighty head fell still, blood trickling from its nose; its life of torment was over.
Jango exhaled hard, his jetpack fizzling and sparking – it had been badly damaged in his encounter with the Reek. He slowly turned around again, and saw Master Windu still stood there. He readied himself again for another onslaught – there was no rest for the wicked.
"I must say I'm impressed," Mace smirked wryly.
Fett wasn't in a chatting mood. His gun made a reappearance, and he pummelled Windu with several rapid firing shots. Mace deflected them all effortlessly, and began to make a rush toward him. Fett hadn't expected this kind of assault from a Jedi, and was forced to take gradual steps backwards as Mace came closer and closer to him, with his deadly pulsating lightsabre. Windu's eyes were intense, his mind focused, and soon he was too close to Jango for the bounty hunter's liking. Fett immediately tried to engage his jetpack – but it just sparked and spluttered, too damaged to operate! Before Fett could even think about uttering a sharp grievance as he saw his coming fate, he was put out of his misery forever – Windu slung a cleaving shot at his neck and decapitated him!
For once, Dooku was shocked, and his hands jolted in a gesture of surprise – his accomplished bounty hunter had been killed! Young Boba just stared on in disbelief, unable to make a reaction – his father was now dead.
The Geonosians decided to raise the stakes a little, and rolled out a couple of giant cannons into the arena – 'sonic blasters', as they were formally known. Their operators hovered about them on their flimsy wings, flicking about on the controls, before slowly turning the gargantuan machines in their enemies' directions, and then firing giant waves of green, sonic energy toward them! Jedi screamed, and droids caught in the crossfire shattered as the waves sent them flying all over the place! Bodies smashed fatally into the pillars, snapping against the hard rock faces, they were thrown with such force!
Kenobi watched a good two-dozen of his Jedi friends wiped out with a single blow from the sonic cannons – he shook his head in denial, not wanting to believe that they were dead; the Geonosians indeed were fine weapons manufacturers.
A couple of gangling battle droids trotted up toward Obi-Wan, cradling their guns awkwardly in their metallic hands. Kenobi looked them over with little concern, and slowly raised his lightsabre, preparing to knock them to the ground – Battle Droids were far from threats to Jedi.
The two droids were about to attack, but then suddenly began to back off, looking at one another almost nervously; "Uh-oh," one sighed, before they both quaked, "Roger, roger!" hysterically.
Obi-Wan frowned, and then noticed that a large shadow was cast over him. He turned about and his old friend, the Acklay, was stood there! It made the clicking noise within its throat again, before screeching outright, and sending its claws down toward him! If Kenobi had had the time, he would have rolled his eyes, but he just got straight down to business, and swung his lightsabre out before him, cutting both the Acklay's forelegs short. This caused the poor creature to fall helplessly forward onto the floor, its back legs unable to give it the necessary balance alone. It groaned in agony, writhing uselessly in the sand. Kenobi looked at it with a little empathy, and decided that it would be better to end its life now rather than let it suffer any more. He spun his sabre about in his hands, before striking the beast down one last time into its head. It then lay still, finally at peace.
Meanwhile, another discharge from the Geonosian's sonic blaster sent at least thirty Jedi sprawling over the arena, many of them killed by the blow. The droids and remaining few Geonosian soldiers began to corner the dwindling number of Knights in the centre of the field, overwhelming them with their consistent, relentless fire. The Jedi continued to fight even as they were forced back, more and more of them continuing to fall in the final onslaught.
Jango's death having sunk in (which was more than what could be said for Boba), Dooku walked back to the head of the dignitary box, and, when he could see that the Jedi were finally well and truly cornered, he made a sharp signal to the droids below. They all halted, withdrawing their weapons and standing their ground.
An eerie silence filled the arena.
The few remaining Jedi looked around them; destroyed droids and the dead bodies of Jedi littered the sandy floor. A few remaining Geonosian soldiers rounded up a few other Jedi, herding them into the centre until they were gathered in a cluster. Anakin rejoined Obi-Wan, amongst the survivors, with Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi, and no more than twenty others. It was a sorry sight considering over two hundred Jedi had started the battle…
Kenobi knelt by the side of a fallen Knight, and checked for his pulse – there was none. He, like many others, had been killed. Obi tried hard to contain his anger, and tried even harder to remain on his feet, his body demanding rest more now than ever.
"Master Windu!" Dooku called from above, his strong voice resonating about the almost depleted amphitheatre, "You have fought gallantly. One might say your performance was worthy of recognition in the Archives of the Jedi Order…but a great performance isn't always enough, is it?"
Mace glared up to his former comrade with something of contempt, swallowing hard.
Padmé kept back by the wall – the carnage below was a horrid sight, and she didn't want to see any more of the tricks Dooku had in store for those who were left; she just hoped that their luck held out. She glanced to Boba briefly – the young boy was in total shock, and seemed quite numb at current. Undoubtedly, after all the dangerous situations his father had survived, Boba had begun to think that Jango was invincible, and would never die…now even he had learned that no one lives forever.
"Now, it is finished," the Count continued with a note of finality, a couple of Super Battle Droids walking up to flank his sides from the passageway behind, "Surrender, and your lives will be spared."
Windu would have none of it, "We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!" he snapped sternly.
Dooku looked down for a moment, sighing, "Then, I'm sorry, old friend."
The Jedi became alert once more as the droids about them again took aim with their guns, ready to mow the remaining huddle of Knights down.
Padmé lurched up to Dooku's side, "Don't kill them! Everyone makes rash decisions in such circumstances! Make them surrender, please!" she asked him.
"Your continuing efforts to save them are in vain, my dear," he replied impassively, "If they won't surrender, then I won't make them. I have no choice but to kill them."
"You do have a choice!" she insisted, grasping his arm.
He whipped his arm back, "I think not."
Obi-Wan looked across the sea of droids, his throat parched, his body exhausted; after all the threats of death that had come upon him today, would this now be the end…?
Mace raised his purple lightsabre, ready to go out fighting, whilst Anakin glared at the Count hard, his anger toward him more incensed than ever – he had to find a way to confront him one-on-one, and prove himself. And if he did, he'd take the old man's lightsabre as his trophy, and take huge satisfaction from eliminating his life…
"Stay focused, everyone," Mace said to the survivor group hushly, a heavily sombre edge to his voice as they prepared for this final onslaught from the overwhelming numbers of droids.
Padmé looked to the small group of Jedi below compared to the hundreds of remaining droids. But suddenly she frowned, hearing a slight buzzing noise from above; glancing upwards, she gasped in amazement; "Look!" she cried.
All the Jedi below gazed into the air, and watched as several large gunships soared down into the arena, and knocked out hundreds of droids with their powerful cannon fire; it was Yoda and an entire hoard of soldiers!
"Around the survivors, a perimeter create!" the little green Jedi ordered his troops, taking immediate control of the situation.
The droids were distracted, and began shooting in bewilderment at the craft above, their lasers proving futile against the ship's shields and the superior firepower. The Jedi cut down the last few droids that they could afford to before the ships landed. Once they were down, some soldiers dressed in white armour hopped out of the crafts, and helped keep the droids at bay whilst the Jedi were escorted onto the ships.
Padmé's face lit up – Anakin, Obi-Wan and the remaining Jedi were safe again!
Dooku was not so pleased by the new company, however – he thrust Padmé out of his way, and stood by the box's edge, closely monitoring the ships below. He watched as, once all of the remaining Jedi had been taken on board, the soldiers re-boarded, and the ships began to take off, flying back outside of the arena.
He growled discreetly to himself, grabbing Padmé by the arm, and guiding her back out of the arena, taking her down the passageway behind them.
"You don't have to pull so hard!" she griped as he dragged her roughly down a dark stairway, the same one that they had come up early.
He promptly stopped, and pushed her on before him, "Take the lead, then!" he snapped.
She stumbled before him, glanced briefly back to his sinister, imposing face, and slowly began to step on ahead; "Where am I supposed to be going?" she asked.
"Forward," he curtly retorted.
"Where exactly?" she repeated.
"Just go forward," he said again, "I'll guide you when necessary."
Meanwhile, in the arena, little Boba made his way to the grounds below. He slowly walked through the field of the dead, destroyed droids' lifeless skeletons and Jedi's shattered bodies everywhere. He walked passed the giant bulk of the Reek, over the imposing torso of a Super Battle Droid, and then found his father's helmet, turned over on its side in the sand. He looked down at it blankly. Thankfully, his father's decapitated head had fallen elsewhere, so it was hollow.
Swallowing, the young boy crouched down and picked up the metallic helmet, and raised it before him, seeing his own reflection in its black visor. He leant his head onto it in sorrow; the only person he had ever been able to call family was now gone. But he didn't cry – he'd been taught never to show weakness, or even to feel grief. He didn't know how to handle what he was feeling now.
Boba's youthful visage tightened; hesitantly at first, he rose back up to his full height, and then slowly placed the helmet firmly onto his head…
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Outside the arena, it was now clear that a much bigger battle had begun.
Watching from their gunship, Kenobi, Anakin, a couple of other Jedi and their Trooper allies, looked over the far-reaching landscape of Geonosis, and saw masses of infantry from the Republic landing to take on the armies assembled by the Confederacy. Large starships were unloading ground walkers, more gunships, and thousands upon thousands of soldiers. War indeed had begun…
Yoda, Windu, Mundi and their crew were on the gunship infront; "If Dooku escapes," Yoda said sternly to Mace, tapping his cane upon the gunship's deck, "Rally more systems to his cause he will!"
"I know," Windu nodded, "He has already claimed Senator Amidala."
Yoda looked at Windu with considerable amazement; "A blow indeed, this is…" he sighed regrettably, "Discourage more from the Republic, it will, if a woman we considered such a strong Republican, we have lost."
Mace glared at the horizon, "And Dooku knows this. I don't wish to know what it was that made the Senator turn to his movement…"
Yoda shook his head gently as the gunships all took a turn east, soaring over the battlefields where many Confederacy craft lay in waiting.
Both sides of the gunships were open to allow easy manoeuvrability of troops onto or off of the ground, but this made falling a dangerous possibility. As the ships hit turbulence, Kenobi decided to keep his fellow Jedi aware; "Hold on!" he said, grasping a handrail above. The Jedi and troops were all prepared, and clutched on tightly as they flew unsteadily through the air.
The crafts began to approach parts of the Banking Clan foundries, where large metallic towers loomed up into the sky, with clusters of cells grouped about their rims. They were undoubtedly part of some kind of vessel, but it was unclear as to exactly what. Commerce Guild dwarf Spider Droids scuttled about their foundations, their red eye sensors making them seem almost lifelike.
Anakin stepped forward toward the soldiers in the gun turrets of his ship, "Aim right above the fuel cells! That'll bring 'em down!"
The troopers nodded, and let loose a couple of torpedoes at the towers; they exploded just where Anakin had advised, and went down in spectacular style, crushing many Spider Droids below!
Kenobi smirked proudly, "Good call, my Padawan," he said. Anakin just nodded back, smiling a little – his mind was still on Padmé, so he was considerably preoccupied.
Whilst their gunship and a few others sped on, Mace's ship and the rest landed on the field below, preparing for further ground assaults against incoming Separatist forces. Yoda planned to oversee the organisation of the matter – he'd rather no more got killed today.
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Dooku and Padmé emerged into the dully-lit war room that Poggle had mentioned earlier. It was cleverly concealed within the depths of the Hive walls, and was an impressive set-up, complete with all the latest in warfare technology. There were consoles, manned by Geonosian technicians, rimming the walls, and a giant, circular table in the room's centre. It was clear to Padmé, from just seeing this war room alone, how deceptively well equipped the Separatists were for combat; they had been insightful enough to select the Geonosians for manufacture of their weapons, who were indeed amongst the best in that field in the galaxy. But then again, it could only be expected that a man of Dooku's intelligence would turn to such creatures to aid him and his cause in building an army.
All of the Separatists were gathered in this chamber, stood at various intervals about the room. The atmosphere was exceptionally tense.
The Count grasped Padmé's arm – lighter this time – and marched her on toward the table. As Padmé approached it, she realised that it was no ordinary desk – it was a colossal, holographic map! She looked across it in awe – it was incredible! What it was currently showing, however was far from comforting.
Nute Gunray and his aide were stood nearby, and the Viceroy, seeing the Count finally join them in the chamber, opened his mouth once more, "The Jedi have amassed a huge army!" he groused, gesticulating all over the place with his scaly, grey hands. Gunray's Neimoidian aide nodded along with him fervently.
Dooku was obviously not pleased by this latest turn of events, but managed to keep his antagonism in check; he was a lot calmer now he was out of the bedlam of the arena. He slowly folded his arms, looking hard at the display on the map that depicted the activities going on outside the amphitheatre, aboveground; gunships were swooping over the barren Geonosian wastelands, forcing his Confederate army to come out of hiding and fight. White clad Republic soldiers were scuttling all over the place, on foot and on speeders, whilst Super & regular battle droids, Droidekas, and assorted other Separatist robots fought almost futilely against them. Republic walkers were crushing the Hailfire droids, and gunship torpedoes threatened to seriously damage the expensive Federation starship hubs and Techno Union craft. Things were definitely not good.
"Your powers of observation do you credit, Viceroy," Dooku said dryly in return to Gunray's remark, his sarcasm hardly coming through his tone; he shook his head, placing his hands onto his hips and taking a few slow steps to the right.
Padmé watched him briefly, before looking back at the map; she was lost within the convictions of her own mind. The Republic had no army, she was certain of it! The 'Military Creation Act' hadn't been passed – at least, not since she'd known – and even if it had, the huge numbers of men and arsenal present here couldn't have been come across so rapidly by the Republic – it was impossible! She shook her head in frustration and perplexity – she just didn't understand it! It didn't make any sense!
"This doesn't seem possible," the Count suddenly commented, putting one hand to his bearded chin and rubbing it roughly, seeming to share Padmé's thoughts. He watched the display show another horde of Republic landing crafts drop down to the battlefield, releasing several six-legged ground walkers – machines that were basically tanks with legs. These began to march toward the Homing Spider Droids of the Commerce Guild, and looked set to wipe them out.
"How could the Jedi come up with an army so quickly?" he continued, asking his query openly. He looked across the Separatists scattered about the room; Po Nudo and Tikkes just shrugged sheepishly, and looked mutely back to the holographic map, whilst Tambor, Hill, and Mai all responded with a helpless silence; everyone was equally dumbfounded.
"We must send all available droids into battle!" Nute abruptly demanded, shaking his fist in irritation toward the holographic replications of the Republic's forces.
The Count inhaled, shaking his head gently and splaying out his hands in gesture, "There are too many," he honestly replied, his tone quiet.
"I don't get it," Padmé finally voiced her concerns, her brow knitted in befuddlement. She looked over to the Count with a candid and troubled uncertainty. He returned her stare blankly, meticulously studying her countenance.
Gunray was quick to point fingers again, "You must know something of this!" he snapped, turning to the petite female human angrily, giving her an intense glare, "How long have the Republic been planning military action on us?"
Poggle shook his head; ["Asshole,"] he growled to himself, turning from the holo-map and trotting over to his technicians to check on their work.
Dooku held back his grin, hearing the Archduke quite clearly; he could only concur with the Geonosian, being equally tired by Gunray's antics.
"We planned no violent assaults! None!" Padmé retorted, scowling indignantly at her long time nemesis, "Although now that I see exactly how much arsenal the Confederacy has stored, I wouldn't be surprised if the Republic had been secretly arming itself!"
"What are you doing in this movement then, 'Senator', if your values are still against us?" the Viceroy went on.
"I'm not strongly for either side anymore," she replied in a low voice, "I'm just against the rise of a Sith Lord into power."
Gunray opened his mouth to continue when Dooku cut him short; "Please, Viceroy," he shouted, "Enough!"
Nute's lip curled up in aversion, "There you go, sticking up for her again," he snorted, folding his arms like a child having a tantrum.
"Nute Gunray, must I remind you that my level of tolerance is not high at current, and that I will not hesitate to remove you from your post if I deem it necessary. I'm sure I could find a more cooperative Neimoidian, willing to represent the Trade Federation in the Confederacy, who is equally, if not more, enthusiastic about aiding the progression of my movement," Dooku snarled overbearingly from where he stood, folding his own arms in a derisive imitation, "Is that clear?"
Nute warbled on regardless, "You have no control over who leads the Federation! As long as I –"
"Is that clear?" the Count repeated sharply, ignoring whatever Nute tried to drone back at him.
Gunray arrested, hesitating for several seconds whilst he considered his options, before sighing reluctantly, "Yes, 'Count'…"
Dooku threw him a typically charismatic grin; "I knew you'd see it my way."
Poggle returned to the border of the table, and took a place by Dooku's side. He tapped him once with his cane, and waited for the Separatist leader to turn about to look at him before saying, ["Our communications have been jammed…"] He then slapped his staff firmly onto the floor, and blinked slowly at the Count.
Dooku cussed silently under his breath, and looked across to his right, his hand returning to his chin as he lapsed back into a personal contemplation of the matter.
"What?" Padmé asked Dooku, taking leave of her place near Gunray, "What did he say?" She stopped before the Count, and looked up at him intently.
"Our communications have been jammed," he said prudently, lowering his hand back to his side, before turning back to the map; he exhaled deeply, resting his hands onto the desk ledge, and blankly glared at the battlefield simulation.
Padmé leant next to him on the ledge, resting upon her elbows, "They must have some heavy-duty equipment with them, then," she deduced. Dooku just nodded in response.
Nute gasped in dismay as he watched his legions of battle droids being just completely overwhelmed by the foot soldiers of the Republic. His aide pointed over to their starship spheres, resting on the battlefield, "The Republic forces are getting too close," he stated to his Viceroy.
"Yes," Gunray grudgingly sighed, "Things are not looking good at all…"
The two Neimoidians continued to watch as several Republic gunships let loose torpedoes into their Federation starships' hubs, causing considerable damage to the large craft. Gunray's aide shook his head in a gesture of decisiveness, "We must get the starships back into space!" he advised urgently.
Gunray nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly, "Yes, at once!"
They turned and fled, leaving the war room to take care of their own munitions. The Count looked up, following the two out with his sharp gaze, and Padmé, too, watched them depart, glad at least to see the back of Gunray. There was a short silence once the Neimoidians had gone. Dooku relaxed down onto his elbows, his eyebrows rising as he pondered the situation.
Poggle made a decisive grunt to himself, slapping the edge of the desk, ["We have to order a retreat!]
Dooku looked at him hard for several seconds, then made a nod of realisation, "Yes," he sighed quietly, "We do." He knew as well as Poggle that to fight such a wealth of Republic forces was in vain; they may as well preserve their forces for another battle at another time.
[ I'm sending all of my warriors to hide in the catacombs,"] the Archduke continued, turning and walking over to a far wall unit.
Dooku turned to Padmé slowly; "You see, my lady, how the Republic have betrayed us?" he whispered, leaning his head toward her, "Sending their Jedi, and these weapons and machines of destruction to try and violently drag us out of our holes? It is they that have begun the war, not us, despite them making their people think that no war would ever be initiated by their hands."
Padmé didn't reply – he was right in some ways; as long as she wasn't subject to a Sith, she was safe. She just hoped Anakin would see it her way eventually. Infact, she just hoped Anakin and everyone was all right.
Dooku nodded, realising his words had been absorbed by his new ally's mind. He pushed himself up from his perch, and walked over to Poggle near one of the walls; "My Master will never allow the Republic to get away with this treachery," he growled as he approached the Archduke.
Hovering up above the nearest console was a large, red, spherical hologram of some ominous looking contraption. It was projected out from the unit, and rotated slowly with a menacing hum. Poggle tapped several codes into this console, and took the spherical hologram back into the unit, before transferring it into a little, handheld device, ["The Republic must not find our plans for the ultimate weapon,"] he said, turning to the Count with the diminutive gadget, ["If they find out what we're planning to build, we're doomed."]
Dooku looked down as the Archduke proceeded to place the minute contraption into his hand. He took it from the Geonosian, briefly flicking it into activation, watching a smaller version of the hologram hover above the appliance; "I will take the designs to Coruscant in due course," he said conservatively, "They will be much safer there, with my Master." He deactivated it, and slipped it safely into a hidden pocket within his dark suit.
Suddenly, the foundations shook with a giant 'boom', and rock chippings dropped from the walls. The Geonosian technicians looked to one-another in faint panic, chirping in their foreign tongue. Padmé lurched up from the desk, and looked about the room in surprise, whilst the other Separatists also jumped in shock, and cowered back to the walls; the battle was near to them, now, and that was not good.
["Get out of here, Serenn… the Geonosians are built to survive underground. You are not,"] Poggle said, looking about the ceiling unsurely as it crumbled slightly, ["I believe the structure will hold, though I can't promise you anything."]
The Count nodded, and paced back to the table; he took Amidala by the arm gently, and walked her into a little space away from any of the other Separatists; "Padmé," he said aside, "We are ordering a retreat…you will come with me, and we'll get to safety before anything continues."
"With you?" she asked in response, "I need to get back to Naboo! I need to sort out everything with the Queen and the people! They don't know I've signed them away to this." Padmé looked down, suddenly feeling horribly guilty for what she had done – she had never liked it, but it had been the only way.
Dooku propped her head up, "Now is not the time to lose faith in yourself," he said, "Keep your head high, and prepare for a bumpy ride."
He released her, and turned back to his gathering, "My friends," he announced to them all, "We have unfortunately been apprehended by the forces of the Republic. The Trade Federation has left to save their starships – I advise that the rest of you do the same. Recall your forces, and retreat. We need to give the dust of today's conflicts time to settle before we strike again – and next time, they won't have it so easy."
Everyone looked at one another, then back to the Count, nodding slowly to themselves, mumbling in a disinclined agreement.
"Don't lose hope, my friends," Dooku continued, "The Republic cannot win with this kind of tyrannical force."
"And what about regrouping? Where shall we rendezvous now that Geonosis is volatile ground?" Hill asked their leader, placing his dainty hands on his waist.
"Good question, San. Of course, we will need to return here at some point, but we will deal with that when the time comes. For now, everyone please make your whereabouts – wherever you may decide to now fly to – known to me within the next forty-eight hours. You can contact me on the usual wavelength," Dooku replied, "I will then call a convention at a safe location as soon as possible, and we can discuss today's losses and our feasible future's gains. We all just need time to recover. Patience is the key, my friends. Now good luck, and May the Force be with you…"
With that, the Separatists slowly began to deplete.
Dooku watched them all leave the room, and then monitored the recalled forces take leave of the battlefields on the holo-map readout. Padmé walked to his side, and watched the holographic simulation of the Separatist forces leave whilst the Republic forces pursued them; "You're quite a speaker, Dooku," she said evenly to him.
He nodded gruffly, "Indeed. I was famous, or infamous for it, when I was a Jedi." He looked to her, "And call me Serenn, please."
She frowned tentatively; "I'd rather not," she admitted, "It kinda makes me feel…uncomfortable…"
He scoffed gently, "And we can't have that, now, can we?"
Poggle trotted over as another horrific blast from aboveground rocked the foundations; ["If you don't get out of here, Serenn, you'll be buried here forever with your 'darling'…"] he grinned grimly.
He turned to the Archduke, "And I suppose we don't want that," he chuckled. He patted the Geonosian upon the shoulder, "Until we meet again, my friend."
Poggle nodded farewell, ["Until then, Serenn…take care."]
Padmé looked up at the ceiling, "It looks a little unsound," she said.
The Count grabbed her arm from behind, and ushered her along forward, "Hence why we're leaving," he said, leading her on out of the place.
"And where exactly are we going?"
"Serenno"
"Serenno?" she asked as they made their way up a metallic plated stairway, "I need to get back to Naboo!"
"Not yet, you don't. It's not safe for me to release you there."
"Not safe? It's my home!"
"And currently part of the Republic… trust me."
She silenced, letting him haul her along. She didn't feel the darkness or the pressure that she'd felt from him earlier – it wasn't quite as intense at the moment. Perhaps it was just best not to struggle.
TBC…
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NB: Ouch… long-o chapter! Trés, trés long-o chapter… ^_^