Author Note: Ok I know some of you readers (not naming names) don't like the fact that there was so much blood in my previous chapters, so I'll try and tone down the gore factor if I can, but I just have to point out that I did rate it as a T story, and I did state in the intro that I had 'rated it T, just incase' so you can't say I didn't warn you! Thanks to all you loyal readers. We're getting to the best bit soon, where Anakin shows his angry streak...quite literally...but not in this chapter! Tee hee!
Boba and the Kaminoans watched Dooku fall with disbelief. Jango couldn't bear to watch any longer and walked away. None of his men dared to look at him.
oOo
Down on the battle field, the Nubians were thrashing the Imperials. With two of their kings already fallen, the Imperial force was in disarray. Maul saw Sidious speeding by in a speeder, his AT-TE destroyed.
Maul ran and manages to leap onto the speeder with the help of the Force. The
two shouted at each other above the commotion of battle.
"We need to retreat!"
Sidious surveyed the battlefield and his battered forces.
"My army has never lost a battle."
"You won't have an army left if we don't fall back!" Maul replied, and looked at Sidious to see that he was dazed by the turn of events.
Finally Maul called into the speeder's radio to whichever Captains could hear him.
"Back to the ships! Back to the ships!"
The captains took up this cry, shouting orders to their men. The Impriald retreated and the Nubian's gave a mighty shout as they pursued their enemies.
Obi-Wan, still on foot, led his men as they chased down the fleeing clones, and Obi-Wan observed with satisfaction that several thousand Imperials had fallen.
The clones managed to get back to their trenches, the bulk of the force amazingly still intact. Snipers in the Greek rear guard, manning the trenches, now raised their guns and prepared to return fire.
Obi-Wan, eager to avoid the mistakes his Imperial counterparts made earlier, held up his hands and bellowed to his troops.
"Halt!"
The army stopped just outside the Imperial snipers range. Lysander, the Nubian captain, stood beside Obi-Wan.
"But we have them on the run, my prince."
"We're almost in range of their snipers. You saw what ours did to them. Have the men gather our fallen. When they're done, send an emissary to the Imperials. They can collect their dead without fear of assault."
"Would they have done the same for us?" Lysander asked.
"Of course not. That's why Theed is worth defending."
Obi-Wan turned and headed back to the white city.
oOo
Thousands of bodies littered the broad field, their bronze armor gleaming in the failing sunlight. The living hauled the dead from the battlefield. Shaaks were used to pull wagonloads of bodies. Fathers or sons or brothers or friends said their goodbyes and washed the dead men with washcloths and buckets of water. The sun sank into the ocean. Both sides built funeral pyres for their fallen. When a body was loaded onto the pyre, a relative or friend placed two coins on the dead man's eyes.
Dozens of imperials viewed Dooku's body. They wept as they passed by, each man kneeling to kiss their fallen Lord's hand.
Sidious stood before the only salvageable bodyparts of Grievous.
He placed two coins on Grievous's eyes before stepping down from the pyre, and accepting a torch from a captian, which he set on pyre, lighting it.
"I will burn their city before I leave, brother. I promise you that," he mumbled.
As the sky grew dark, the dead burned on the beach and inside the walls of Theed.
oOo
Up in Anakin's chamber, Anakin was lying in his bed. He flinched as Padme, using needle and thread, stitched his leg wound. His face was bruised, his eyes red. His stump had been expertly replaced with a mechanical hand which glittered gold in the setting sun.
"You think I'm a coward," he sighed. Padme, who was concentrating on her stitching, said nothing. Anakin flinched as the needle pierced his skin again.
"I am a coward. I knew he would kill me. I knew it. You were watching, and my father, my brother, all of Naboo -- it didn't matter. The shame didn't matter. I gave up my pride, my honor. Just to live."
"You challenged a great warrior. That took courage," Padme answered at last.
"I betrayed you."
Padme inspected her work. The black stitches were a little ragged, but they seemed secure.
"Grievous was brave. He lived for fighting. And I hated him from the day I married him until the day he died. I first met him when he was a whole human...before his accident. He was good looking then, but just as mean and ill-tempered. I was blinded by his looks and foolishly allowed myself to submit to his reign."
"Tell me you love me for more than my looks," Anakin asked suddenly. Padme didn't answer, but leant forward until her lips were inches from Anakin.
"I don't want a hero, my love. I want a man to grow old with. I don't care about your pretty looks. I care about your kind heart and your love for me."
She kissed him and there was great tenderness in her kiss. A knock on the door interupted them and Padme looked up. There was another knock.
"Come in," she answered at last.
Obi-Wan came into the room, examining Anakin's leg.
"Well stitched," he said to Padme, then he turned to Anakin. "You have a talented woman. I thank the gods you're alive, little brother."
"I wanted to make you proud of me," Anakin muttered, hanging his head. Obi-Wan gripped his shoulder.
"You will."