Author Note: Thanks so much for your brilliant reviews guys. Sorry it took so long to post this chapter, but I've had so much coursework to do...and I've got loads more, so I won't be able to post the next chapter for at least a day or so...sorry...but I hope you enjoy this one and keep those reviews coming. I enjoy reading them.
Sidious, standing on his AT-TE in front of his army, saw hiscyborg sonfall. For a moment the vast field was silent. Then Sidious shouted, a wordless cry of rage, echoing from the Imperial lines to the walls of Theed. He pointed towards Obi-Wan.
The entire Imperial army surged forwards, hollering with a collective violence powerful enough to make the ground tremble.
Fifty thousand soldiers charged at Obi-Wan. He saw them coming and felt the ground he stood on tremble with the concussive force of Imperial feet and AT-TE feet.
"Anakin," he called to his brother, who was still in a state of shock.
"Get up! Get up!"
The avalanche of Imperial infantry was getting closer. Anakin finally got to his feet but ran in the wrong direction, toward the Imperials.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried. But then he saw that what seemed to be a sprint to suicide was actually something different. Anakin grabbed the fallen blade of Naboo from the ground, dangerously close to the charging army. Then he turned and dashed back to Obi-Wan. The two mounted the Kaadu that two soldiers had brought for them.
The Imperials were almost upon them, brandishing their spears and screaming their war cries, all of them aiming for the glory of felling the Nubian princes.
The closest Imperials launched their spears and one whistled by Obi-Wan's ear. He spurred his mount on as they gallop toward the city.
Maul watched this chase with trepidation.
"Our men are too close to the walls," he muttered to his driver.
Captain Panaka saw that the princes had gained some distance from their pursuers. He called to an officer standing on the city wall.
"SNIPERS!"
oOo
From his viewing post, Boba turned and saw Jango, standing on a high rock behind the other Kaminoans. He didn't know how long Jango had been watching the battle.
"Pull back, you fool," Jango muttered, echoing Maul's thoughts.
oOo
The Imperial army continued to charge at full speed as one thousand Nubian snipers took aim.
"Now!" Panaka yelled and one thousand bright blasts of energy descended on the charging Imperials.
Hundreds of Clones, Geonosians and other soldiers fell. The Nubian snipers let loose another swarm of blasts and the air was soon filled with a great hiss. Many found their mark, biting into the throats and faces of the Imperials.
The Imperial army, so overwhelming seconds ago, was now struck with chaos. The men in the front turned back, realizing they'de become targets, while the men in back still pushed forwards. In this confusion of foot traffic the blasts continued to fall, a rainstorm of deadly colours.
Sidious, standing in his AT-TE in the middle of his frenzied troops, tried to maintain order, but his shouts were unheard above the general roar. The driver of his vehicle fell, a blast smashing throught the windscreen and into his neck.
Sidious grabbed the controls and tried to steer the huge armoured vehicle, but so many men were running about and so many bodies littered the ground, that maneuvering was extremely difficult.
oOo
Obi-Wan and Anakin had reached the city walls by this time, and Panaka and the army were waiting for them. Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin's arm.
"Get inside the city."
He slapped Anakin's mount, so Anakin, head bowed, rode away. Obi-Wan turned to his army. He shouted to them at the top of his lungs.
"The Emperor wants us to fight for him!"
The army became more angered, and eager to attack.
"Would any man here like to fight for Sidious?"
"No!The Nubian soldiers bellowed. Obi-Wan raised his saber and pointed it at the Imperials, who retreated from the blaster shots in disarray.
"For Naboo!" he yelled.
"Naboo!" the soldiers echoed, before charging. Obi-Wan, on his Kaadu, reached the Imperials first. His saber cut down everyone withing reach, whilst the Nubian infantry attacked the Imperials, whose line had been broken already by the line of blasts.
The Nubians took advantage of their enemies' panic. Obi-Wan's plan had suceeded.
oOo
Jango was unable to stand still. His fingers twitched as he watched the battle; he paced back and forth and cursed.
Boba and the Kaminoans avoided looking at their leader.
"Get them in line... get them in line..."
oOo
Maul, meanwhile, worked to reorganize the troops.
"Tarkin! Bring your men back into line!"
Dooku, standing nearby, saw Obi-Wan chopping his way through the Imperials. He ran at Obi-Wan. Two Nubian soldiers tried to intercept Dooku. The mighty Sith Lord swung his huge blood red blade. The blade cut clean through the first soldier's arm and halfway through his torso.
The second soldier hacked at Dooku but the big man blocked thespear with the force and then usedit to throw the man backwards into the path of an AT-TE. Blood sprayed from the Nubian's crushed body.
Obi-Wan, battling an Imperial clone, didn't see Dooku coming. Dooku grabbed Obi-Wan's mount's bridle and tugged hard, the veins in his arms bulging beneath the skin.
The kaadu tried to buck but Dooku twisted it's head until it fell. Obi-Wan fell with his mount, tumbling to the dirt. The clone he had been fighting stabbed at him.
Obi-Wan rolled away and managed -- while flat on his back -- to swing his saber, chopping off the clone's feet just above the ankles. The clone screamed and fell.
Dooku releases the kaadu, raised his blade, and swung at the fallen Obi-Wan. The prince managed to grab an electro-shield and hold it up just in time. Dooku's blade cleaved through the shield, splitting the laser wall into two even halves.
Obi-Wan stared at the halved shield, discarded it, and jumped to his feet. The two fighters circled each other while thousands of soldiers around them battled to the death.
"So you're the best of the Nubians?" Dooku laughed.
Obi-Wan, looking for an opening in the sith's defenses, said nothing. Dooku charged, swinging his blade.
Obi-Wan ducked below the blade and lunged forward with his saber, but Dooku -- quick despite his size -- sidestepped, grabbed the smaller man in a bear hug and squeezed.
Obi-Wan turned red and his blade fell from his hand. Dooku grinned.
Obi-Wan slamed his helmeted head forward, butting Dooku in the face. Dooku staggered back, blood spraying from his nose, his saber also falling to the ground.
Obi-Wan struggled to regain his footing and Dooku growled, launching himself at the prince.
Obi-Wan snatched a spear off the ground and positioned it just as Dooku dived at him. The spear pierced Dooku's armor, driving through his belly and out his back. Obi-Wan held the shaft steady as Dooku stared down at his wound. He seemed more irritated than anything else.
Dooku placed his two big hands on the spear shaft, right where the spear entered his body. He broke the spear in two, snapping the solid wood like a twig.
Half a spear still stuck out his back, but Dooku swung the shaft, clobbering Obi-Wan in the side of the head, sending the jedi helmet flying.
Obi-Wan, dazed, fell to one knee. Dooku whacked him again on the back of his neck as Obi-Wan crawled forward blindly.
His hands brushed over the handle of his dropped saber.
Then, using the force to aid him,Obi-Wan sprung up, driving his blade into Dooku's gut, just below the big man's breast plate.
Obi-Wan withdrew his saber and both men saw the ground drenched with Dooku's blood.
Dooku backhanded Obi-Wan with the broken spear shaft, cracking the prince in the jaw and dropping him again.
Then he grabbed Obi-Wan, hoisted him upright and began throttling the prince, whilst spitting a great wad of blood on the ground. He smiled, teeth washed red.
Obi-Wan tried to kick at Dooku, but Dooku's thumbs dug deeper and deeper into Obi-Wan's throat. Obi-Wan's eyelids began to flutter as he choked. But the Sith had lost too much blood. He sunk slowly to his knees and Obi-Wan was forced to his knees as well.
Finally Dooku's eyes rolled back and he toppled onto Obi-Wan, hands still locked on the prince's throat. Obi-Wan undid the death grip and squirmed out from under Dooku's corpse before getting to his feet.