Chapter 12 Attack of the Clones

Jesse faced the massive iron door, sensing a Force presence flowing from within. After cutting a hole with his lightsaber, the three entered. In the room stood a tall man with white hair and a beard.

"Greetings, young padawans." He said in a deep voice that made Jesse's skin crawl. "I've been waiting for you."

He activated a red lightsaber, sending a Force-shove in their direction. Kimmy, Jesse, and Kitch staggered backward but didn't fall and quickly assumed a defense position as the man attacked.

You'd think we would be able to finish him off. Jesse thought after a while, but the man was attacking with such speed and ferocity that Jesse was having a hard time keeping up with, even with Kitch and Kimmy helping.

The man stepped back and Jesse leaped to the offensive, only to receive a current of electric lightning for his efforts. He felt himself hurling into the wall and everything went dark.

>>>>

Ouch. Jesse groaned as he came to. His head felt like it had been stuck inside a punching bag.

"Jesse, are you ok?" a familiar voice cut through the fog.

Jesse struggled to see through the dense haze that swam before his eyes. So this was what it felt like to be struck by Force-lightning.

"Jesse?" the voice called again. It sounded feminine, and Jesse could have sworn he'd heard it before. He lifted his head and the room spun. Was it just this woozy feeling, or did he seem to be floating?

"Kimmy?" he managed to put a name to the voice and a face to the name. Now that he could open his eyes without feeling like he was going to hurl his entire digestive system, he could see that he was, in fact, floating. In a way. He was suspended in midair with electric charges on their wrists and ankles.

"You were out for a while. Are you ok?" Kimmy said.

"Don't ask. Where's Kitch?"

Kimmy nodded her head, and Jesse noticed for the first time that she was in the same position he was. Kitch was also subject to the same type of restraining device in the corner. Jesse wondered if he was all right; he was looking pretty green around the gills. But then again, Jesse realized he probably wasn't looking that great either.

"He's still out then?"

Kimmy nodded.

"Did you getshocked too?"

"Yes. It was quite exhilarating."

"Exhilarating my lightsaber." Jesse muttered, but it was good to know Kimmy could still joke.

"Now what?" Kimmy asked after a pause.

Jesse shrugged as best he could. "We wait until they decide and or carry out what they're going to do with us."

"Do you have any idea what that might be?"

Jesse shrugged again. "Kill us."

"Joy."

A few hours later- Jesse didn't know when in the day since he'd lost track of all time- the huge doors opened and several creatures that strongly resembled locusts entered and turned off the machines that kept the three floating in mid-air. Jesse landed on the ground with a thud and rubbed his wrists where the electro-binders had been. The locusts put more binders on them, marched them out to a small cave-like room outside of an arena, and shoved them onto an open cart.

"This doesn't look good." Kitch muttered.

Jesse didn't say anything for a minute then turned to Kimmy. "If I have to die, I'd rather die with you than anyone else." He said.

"Me too." She smiled up at him, though her lips trembled a little.

For an instant Jesse was tempted to kiss her, but he refrained. A Jedi to the last, he just hugged her.

The cart lurched forward and they were pulled out into the arena. In the middle there were pillars where someone was already chained and two others were being chained.

"It's just like a reunion." Jesse muttered as he recognized Obi-Wan, Padme, and Anakin.

"Where were you?" Anakin asked.

"Where were you?"

Anakin didn't answer; he just turned to face the audience as the carts pulled away and the crowds fell silent.

"The felons before you have been convicted of espionage against the Sovereign System of Geonosis." A voice announced, sending the stands once more into ecstasy. "Their sentence of death is to be carried out in this public arena henceforth. Let the executions begin!"

Six doors opened from one end of the arena and six monsters entered, growling, screaming and hissing. Each one locked onto a victim and closed in.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Anakin muttered to no one in particular.

"I just want it on record that this was your idea." Jesse said.

"Well I want it on record that you were extremely anxious to come. Not to mention the fact that you should have been here in the first place."

"Concentrate, Anakin." Obi-Wan said.

"What about Padme?" Anakin demanded.

"She seems to be on top of things."

They all looked to where Padme had managed to undo her binders and had climbed to the top of her pillar.

"Ha ha." Jesse said dryly.

A large snake approached Jesse, hissing and flicking its forked tongue. In the meantime, a hawk-like bird that had its bat-like wings clipped and an alligator with two heads narrowed down on Kimmy and Kitch.

Jesse waited until the snake had coiled itself to strike before leaping to the side, causing the snake to bite the pillar. Without hesitating, Jesse sprung forward, wrapped the chain around the snake's neck and then wound it around the pillar. The snake thrashed helplessly, but its head was securely fastened. Using on of the razor sharp fangs, Jesse broke his binders off his wrists and ran over to where Kimmy was playing a deadly game of dodging the hawk's beak. The chain had broken, Jesse assumed the hawk had hit it, and she was using the pillar as a shield.

Jesse leaped onto the hawks back and used his knees and hands to grip as the animal went mad, thrashing and trying to get whatever pesky creature was on top of him off. It slammed its head into the pillar, knocking it down and just missing Jesse's leg.

"Look out!" he yelled to Kimmy.

She moved to the side as the pillar crashed to the ground.

"Hold up the chain!" he called.

Kimmy held up a section of chain as the bird decided to ignore whatever was on his back and reassume trying to make the girl beneath him bite the dust. The chain snapped under the powerful beak, and Kimmy tossed it up to Jesse. Jesse wrapped the chain around the hawk's neck and pulled. The hawk let out a half strangled screech and fought the chain, but it was too tight and it finally fell to the ground. Jesse leaped down, unable to resist a flip as he landed. He and Kimmy ran over to Kitch who was using the Force to keep his foe still in place after having broken the chain. Jesse wrapped it around the beast's snouts and they ran over to where Obi-Wan had just leaped onto the large animal Anakin and Padme were riding. Suddenly droidekas surrounded them on all sides.

There was a pause, and then all around lightsabers were ignited. Jesse had never seen a more beautiful sight than the hundred Jedi that appeared from the audience. And he had never seen one so dismaying as the thousands of droids that began firing at them. They were tossed lightsabers, and Jesse quickly activated his and joined in the battle, trying to forget how exhausted he was. When was the last time he had slept- besides being unconscious?

The Jedi fought valiantly, but they were gradually being driven back as the sheer numbers began to tell. Suddenly there was a pause and a deep voice that Jesse recognized echoed from above.

"Master Windu! You have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the history archives of the Jedi Order. Now it is finished. Surrender - and your lives will be spared."

"We will not be hostages for you to barter with, Dooku." Jesse looked over to where his master stood, feeling a wave of pride. He walked over and took his place by his master's side.

"Then, I'm sorry, old friend. You will have to be destroyed."

The droids raised their weapons once more, and the Jedi prepared to make a last desperate stand.

"Look!" Padme suddenly called.

Above, six gunships descended quickly into the open arena and landed in a cluster around the handful of Jedi. White armored soldiers, which Kitch instantly recognized, spilled out and started firing at the droids.

"Clone troopers." He told Kimmy. "It's the army."

A familiar three-foot figure appeared at the door of one of the Gunships.

"Circle the Jedi. A perimeter, create, around the survivors." Master Yoda instructed.

The surviving Jedi dashed to the gunships and scrambled in as the gunships took off, carrying them to safety.

Isn't the chapter title so original? I thought it was a good idea though. No, it's not the end, not even close. There's still something very important going to happen. We've pretty much got this story wrapped up, so the next chapter will be up soon. Oh, the two headed aligator was WizrdJedi's idea (applaudes). Now review or I won't finish the story! Ever! (evil laugh) (just kidding)