Disclaimer: See previous chapter

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-Knight-

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We entered into the hanger where Count Dooku had escaped. Beside me, Anakin was a turbulent of emotion. Padme had fallen off of the transport ship we were on and he was adamant about turning around and getting to her, even if it meant letting Dooku escape. It took a bit to convince him to move onward; he was a Jedi and he had a duty to fulfill, just as Padme had were she in his place. He couldn't let his emotions get the best of him, especially now. If Dooku escaped, he would bring in more star systems to his cause, creating a war across the entire galaxy. As we touched down, I was vaguely aware of the destruction of our transport, along with the clone soldiers onboard, another new development that I had discovered along this mission.

New…and disturbing…

Brushing it of, I focused on the now. I could just hear my old masters' words echoing in my mind. 'Keep your focus on the here and now…' I returned my focus to Anakin, who had calmed down, but not by much. I hoped he would remember his training. I had a bad feeling about this. We finally entered into the hanger where he awaited. Count Dooku. A former Jedi Master, one of Lost Twenty…and Qui-Gon's former master…

"You're going to pay for all the Jedi you've killed today, Dooku." Anakin spat out. While it was true that many Jedi had fallen in this fight, I realized that Anakin's rage was more about Padme than the Jedi. That was more of a reason for concern, but it would have to wait. Right now…

"We'll take him together." I cautioned. "Go in slowly on the left…"

"I'm taking him now!"

"No wait, Anakin!" But he continued to charge at Dooku, who simply stood there calmly.

"No!"

Dooku lifted his hand and sent out a blast of the Force in the form of dark lightning. The lightning tore at Anakin's body and tossed him aside into the walls and dropping him on the rocks. Damn, this wasn't the time for impatience. Anakin's body was still moving, so he was still alive. But that left me to face Dooku alone. I raised my lightsaber to him as he circled around with me.

"As you see, my Jedi powers are far beyond yours. Now, back down."

He sent out another surge of Dark Force lightning, at me this time. But I lifted my lightsaber, causing it to absorb the surges harmlessly. Since it was Force-generated, it could be neutralized by the same means. I continued to stand against him.

"I don't think so."

At this, he reached into his side and ignited…a red lightsaber, thus fully revealing what I had already suspected. Count Dooku had become a Sith Lord. I moved in and attacked, but he parried my attack. I swung again and again, moving swiftly in my attack, but he continued to deflect my attacks. I swung at him in a wide arc, but he simply hopped over it and smiled.

"Master Kenobi, you disappoint me. Yoda holds you in such high esteem." He came at me this time and blocked them, but only barely. His smile broadened. "Surely you can do better."

I pushed away and came again, but again my attack was deflected and I dashed around him for room. His style of fighting…it was Makashi. It was an ancient style that utilized parries and quick slashes. It wasn't used by Jedi because it was only designed for one-on-one saber combat, as opposed to much of the other styles that could combat against blaster fire. But now, I was unable to get in a single his and all my attacks were wasted on his simple, yet elegant parries.

In short, I was no match for him...

Our blades locked once more and I struggled to hold on while he continued smiling all the while. Then with a quick stab, his blade hit my shoulder and then the side of my thigh in quick succession. I fell to the ground in pain while he circled around and waved his lightsaber. He then clasped both hands on then and prepared to strike down. I was unable to move and soon the crimson light came down…

…only to be stopped by an emerald one…

"Brave of you, boy." Dooku spoke lightly. "But I would have thought you had learned your lesson."

"I am a slow learner."

As he said that, I had called out to the Force and pulled in my fallen lightsaber. It rolled right into my hands and as Anakin pushed away, I tossed it to him.

"Anakin!"

Anakin grabbed the saber, instantly ignited it, and attacked with both lightsabers. Dooku was forced back, but it was only temporary and pretty soon, he was pushing Anakin back. Dooku managed to find an opening and he slashed Anakin's green saber apart, leaving him with one once again. Reeling back, Anakin slashed a power cord, which caused the lights in the area to go off, with only their sabers as illumination as they raised them up over their heads. I frowned as I tried to move, but the lightsaber slash prevented that and I was unable to help any further. So I was forced to watch my apprentice battle this dangerous Sith Lord. They attacked each other and to his credit, Anakin was holding his own against him, far more than I had. I felt Anakin's power growing as he fought and I was beginning to think that somehow, he was evenly matched with Dooku.

Was he really…the Chosen One?

But in a matter of moments, Dooku took control of the fight, wheeled around and slashed up, severing Anakin's right arm. Then with a Force push, he hurled him over beside me and he was knocked unconscious. I tried to reach to him, but my movements were slow. We were more than in trouble. We were finished and at Dooku's mercy.

And thenhe showed up…

I felt his familiar presence long before he entered the room and so had Dooku. The short stature of Master Yoda, yet the power I felt was undeniable. Dooku turned to him as he stopped at the entrance.

"Master Yoda."

"Count Dooku."

"You have interfered with our affairs for the last time." he said, raising his hand to the side and pulling off a piece of equipment. He then sent it soaring toward Yoda, ready to crush him. But the elder Jedi simply lifted up his hand and stopped it. Then with a gesture of his own, he tossed it aside. Dooku repeated the tactic and Yoda did likewise, pushing it away effortlessly. Frustrated, Dooku raised his hands toward the ceiling and caused a part of it to crumble and fall down on Yoda. But again, Yoda stopped the debris short and hurled it away.

"Powerful you have become, Dooku." He then added sadly. "The Dark Side I sense in you."

"I've become more powerful than any Jedi." His hands lifted again and I knew what he was about to do. "Even you."

The lightning sprayed out of his fingertips and at Yoda, but Yoda merely caught them in his own palm and sent it back. Dooku had to work quickly to deflect it away from him and into the walls. He then sent a barrage of lightning, but the Jedi master deflected them all. Dooku soon had to realize that it was futile and ceased from the dark lightning. I watched with amazement, but not in surprise. Yoda was the most powerful Jedi after all.

And he was once Dooku's master…

"Much to learn you still have."

"It's obvious that this contest can not be decided by our knowledge of the Force…" Dooku admitted. He then pulled up his lightsaber and re-ignited it. "…but by our skills with a lightsaber."

He lifted his crimson saber in salute and held it off to the side. In return, Yoda pulled away his robe, drew his own lightsaber into his palm and the emerald blade came into form. Dooku leaped into the air and Yoda followed, letting out a battle cry. The two met on the ground and Dooku attack, far more so than when he fought us. But Yoda was in constant motion, flipping and spinning everywhere as he attacked. Ataru, the lightsaber style that utilized agility and flips. It was once my form as well as Qui-Gon's. But I've never seen it in such dramatic display before. Come to think of it, I had never seen Yoda in an actual battle before. It was like he was everywhere at once. Dooku managed to lock with him, but the Jedi master pushed him away and continued the onslaught of attacks. Soon Dooku was pushed against his own ship, trying to get out of it when their swords clashed again.

"Fought well you have, my old Padawan."

"This is just the beginning." he said angrily. Then he reached over and crushed in a column, sending it falling down right on us. I couldn't stop it; I was too weakened by both the battle and the injuries. But I felt Yoda's energy and he managed to stop it from crushing both Anakin and me. But in doing so, Dooku was given a chance to escape. As Yoda dropped column, I heard the hiss of the ship's hatch and it soon sailed away.

We had failed…

Anakin began to regain consciousness and I managed enough strength to rise up. Yoda retrieved his walking stick with a look of sorrow.

"Anakin!"

At that point, Padme entered the room with a group of clone troopers. She ran over to him and embraced him, not missing the stump that was his arm. The clones secured the room, but there was no point. With Dooku loose, he would now bring more systems under his control. A civil war was inevitable now. The most disastrous war that would come upon the Republic in a thousand years…

The Clone Wars…

AN: For detailed information on the lightsaber fighting styles, look it up at wikipedia org