Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme watched from the open Gunship down on the battleground below. Clone Troopers riding speeder bikes advanced toward the battlefield. Trade Federation Spider Droids fired at the Clone Toopers and Republic Gunships. Lightsaber-wielding Jedi slashed through battle droids. The battle raged on as the gunship flew low toward Techno Union starships that were in the process of taking off.

"Aim right above the fuel cells." Anakin called out.

Laser fire pelted the base of the nearest Techno Union ship. Rocked with explosions, it began to tilt over and the Gunships split up, flying past.

"Good call. Those Federation starships are taking off. Target them quickly." Obi-Wan quickly pointed ahead as one Trade Federation starship begins to rise from its docking port.

The gunships fired on the starship, with no apparent damage.

"They're too big, Master. The ground troops will have to take them out." Anakin stated.

Forward Command Center

The Gunship landed at the Command Center and Yoda disembarked.

"Master Yoda, all forward positions are advancing." The Clone Commander reported.

"Very good. Very good." Yoda said as he walked down the ramp.

The gunships continued to fire on the Trade Federation starships as they continued to lift into the sky.

"Concentrate all your fire on the nearest starship." Yoda ordered.

The Clone Commander nodded. "Yes, sir."

The Trade Federation starship finally began to weaken under the constant fire. The starship began to fall and then exploded in a fireball. Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme were at the open sides of their gunship, watching as clones fired down at the droids below. The gunship slowed, circling over a droid gun-emplacement.

It blasted it, but suddenly the gunship was rocked by a near miss.

It lurched violently as Ob-Wan noticed something. "Look over there..."

Through the other side of the gunship, they saw a Geonosian Speeder racing past. In the open cockpit is the unmistakable figure of Count Dooku.

"It's Dooku!" Anakin turned to the gunship's pilot. "Shoot him down!"

"We're out of ordinance, sir." The pilot replied.

"Follow him!" Anakin then said.

"We're going to need some help." Padme pointed out.

"No, there's no time. Anakin and I can handle this." Obi-Wan stated, knowing that Dooku could not be allowed to escape.

Dooku signaled the two fighters flanking his ship. They veered off left and right, looped around, and came up behind the gunship. To avoid the Beak-Wing fire, the gunship banked up a steep dune but was still hit. The ship lurched on its side, and Padme and a clone officer tumbled out.

"Padmé!" Anakin stared down in horror as PADMة hits the ground below. " Put the ship down! Down!"

"Anakin, don't let your personal feelings get in the way." Obi-Wan turned to the pilot. "Follow that speeder."

The gunship continues its pursuit of Dooku's speeder, followed by the two Beak-Wing fighters.

"Lower the ship!" Anakin shouted.

"Anakin, I can't take DOOKU alone. I need you. If we catch him we can end this war right now. We have a job to do."

"I don't care." Anakin looked to the pilot. "Put the ship down."

"You'll be expelled from the Jedi Order." Obi-Wan warned.

Anakin swallowed. "I can't leave her."

"Come to your senses. What do you think Padmé would do if she were in your position?" Obi-Wan said sharply and then asked softly.

Anakin didn't want to answer because he knew what it was but with a deep breath he did so. "She would do her duty."

Forward Command Center

Yoda stood next to the Clone Commander, sensing something was wrong. "Hmmmm..."

"The droid army is in full retreat." The commander reported.

"Well done, Commander. Bring me my ship."

Geonosis
Orbit
USS Enterprise

"Admiral, scanners are detecting Trade Federation and Techno Union ships coming up from the planet. The Trade Federation sphere ships are approaching the outer ring vessels." Spock reported.

Kirk could see the Core Ships approaching and attaching themselves to the outer hull, becoming fully whole once again. "Are they moving towards us?"

"Negative."

"Let's not take any chances. Mr. Sulu, keep us at a safe distance. Place us in orbit opposite of these ships." Kirk immediately ordered.

"Aye sir." Sulu said, inputting the commands.

The Enterprise slowly moved back, taking up orbit on the far side of the planet where it could see the Separatist ships but far enough that none would attack.

"What's the status down there?" Kirk asked once they were far enough away.

"The droid army appears to be in full retreat, heading for ships that have yet to take off but are far enough from the battle they are not in danger of being attacked." Spock answered, frowning slightly.

"What is it, Spock?" Kirk asked, knowing the look his First Officer had.

"A singly gunship is following a speeder to what appears to be unmanned hangar. The drive of the speeder is human…Likely Count Dooku." Spock answered, looking back at Kirk as he finished speaking.

Kirk looked back the view screen. "They must be trying to keep him from escaping."

"That is a logical assumption, Admiral." Spock agreed. "Also, two life forms fell out of the gunship while being attacked by two Genosian fighters. They are stable…I believe one of them to be the Senator."

Kirk frowned and tapped a switch on his chair. "Transporter room, Mr. Spock will be sending coordinates for two life signs down on the planet. Lock on to them and beam them up. I will be on my way down there with Dr. McCoy."

Anakin and Obi-Wan watched as Dooku's speeder entered the tower up ahead; the Gunship parked next to it. Obi-Wan and Anakin leapt down and ran inside the tower. Inside, Dooku was throwing switches on a control panel before turning to face the two Jedi. His Interstellar Sail Ship was parked nearby.

"You're going to pay for all the Jedi you've killed today, Dooku." Anakin boldly spoke as the count faced him and Obi-Wan.

"We'll take him together - you go in slowly on the..." Obi-Wan tried to instruct but Anakin was in no mood to listen.

"No, I'm taking him now!"

"Anakin, no!"

Anakin charged across the open space at Dooku, who smiled faintly, watching him come. Anakin raised his lightsaber. At the last moment, Dooku thrust out an arm and unleashed a blast of blue and white Force lightning. Anakin was hurled across the room, and slammed into the opposite wall.

He slumped to the foot of the wall, semi-conscious.

Dooku moved towards Obi-Wan next. "As you can see, my Jedi powers are far beyond yours. Now, back down."

He raised his hand, firing another burst of lightning at Obi-Wan who quickly raised his lightsaber, blocking the lightning.

"I don't think so." Obi-Wan lifted his lightsaber.

Dooku smiled and ignited his lightsaber. Obi-Wan came in fast, swinging at Dooku's head. Dooku parried the cut easily. As they fought, it quickly becomes clear that Dooku was the complete swordsman, elegant, graceful, and classical - a master of the old style.

"Master Kenobi, you disappoint me. Yoda holds you in such high esteem." Dooku taunted and parried another cut and then thrust. "Surely you can do better."

Obi-Wan steps back quickly, panting for breath.

"Come, come, Master Kenobi. Put me out of my misery".

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, getting a fresh grip on his lightsaber and came in again. For a moment, he drove Dooku back. Then Dooku's superior skill began to tell again, and he forced Obi-Wan to retreat.

Padme groaned as a bright light filled her vision and then rather than the hot sand she felt a warm but metallic surface.

"Easy, the two of you." A familiar voice spoke.

Padme opened her eyes to see Dr. McCoy and a Starfleet nurse checking her and a clone trooper over. "Dr. McCoy?"

"Do you feel all right?" McCoy asked as he ran tricorder scan over her.

"I think so." Padme answered as she slowly sat up. "Why am I on the Enterprise?"

"Our sensors detected you falling out of your gunship. So we had you beamed up to check you for injuries." Kirk answered as he stepped into the transporter room. "All signs point to a Republic victory. The droid army was retreating from what Mr. Spock had last reported."

"But Dooku is still out there…" Padme stood up. "I need to beam me to that hangar."

"Senator, you know we cannot actively assist you without being drawn into this conflict ourselves." Kirk pointed out. "If we're seen beaming you into that hangar, the Separatists could argue that Starfleet has chosen to enter this conflict on the Republic's side."

"Admiral, we're trying to stop a war from spreading across the galaxy." Padme argued. "You of all people should understand that."

"I do but I have my own obligations to Starfleet to think about along with the lives of my crew." Kirk said back. "We can transport you down to the nearest Republic gathering but that's all we can do."

"We better get you back to the Forward Command Center." The clone with Padme suggested.

"No, no." Padme looked at Kirk. "Beam us to the nearest transport. We've got to get to that hanger."

Dooku increased the tempo of his attack. Obi-Wan was pushed to the limit to defend himself. Dooku pressed. His lightsaber flashed and Obi-Wan was wounded in the shoulder, then the thigh.

He stumbled back, tripped, and fell. His lightsaber went skittering across the floor. Dooku raised his lightsaber as Obi-Wan looked up at him helplessly. Dooku's lightsaber flashed down and clashed against - Anakin's lightsaber!

Dooku and Anakin stared eye to eye. "That's brave of you, boy - but foolish. I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson."

"I'm a slow learner." And with that, Anakin charged at Dooku.

The force of his attack caught the Count slightly off balance.

Anakin's lightsaber flashed and Dooku drew back. "You have unusual powers, young Padawan. But not enough to save you this time."

"Don't bet on it!" Anakin retorted.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan used the Force to catch his lightsaber and he tossed it to Anakin.

Anakin, taking up the second blade, began to unleash of flurry of broad Form IV attacks, briefly taking the Count off his guard. Dooku was able to recover his guard and drive Anakin back. Because he had little practical experience with dual-wielding, Skywalker was forced to revert to his standard Form V practices when Dooku masterfully disarmed him, flicking his second blade out of Skywalker's hand and destroying the hilt in midair. Warding off Dooku with two rapid strikes, Skywalker quickly retreated, regaining his composure.

Slashing a power cable connected to Dooku's ship as he raised his blade into a high guard, Skywalker caused a short circuit that briefly caused the hangar lights to flicker. As the chamber dimmed, the two advanced on each other. As they stared at one another, blades at the ready, Skywalker attacked. The two engaged in a flurry of swordplay, seemingly equally matched. Briefly breaking off, Dooku quickly reassessed Anakin's strength before quickly attacking, and the duel resumed. Despite holding his own against Dooku for much of the duel, Skywalker was finally brought down when Dooku twirled and slashed off his arm with a sudden undercut. As Anakin cried out in pain, Dooku blasted the Jedi aside with a Force push. Skywalker eventually landed at Kenobi's feet.

As Dooku briefly caught his breath, he noticed the sound of footsteps and the clack of a cane, as well as the characteristic panting.

Turning to the hangar entrance, Dooku and the newly-arrived Yoda regarded one another.

"Master Yoda." The count spoke with a hint of scorn and what sounded like eagerness.

"Count Dooku." Yoda greeted stoically.

"You have interfered with our plans for the last time." Dooku levitated machinery, hurling it at the tiny figure of the Jedi Master.

Yoda deflected the machinery. Dooku then caused great boulders in the ceiling above Yofa to fall, and again, Yoda deflects the boulders which fall around him.

"Powerful you have become, Dooku. The dark side I sense in you." Yoda observed.

"I have become more powerful than any Jedi. Even you, my old Master." Dooku raised and hurled Force lightning at Yoda, who deflects every blast.

"Much to learn you still have." Yoda stated, saddened to see how far his former pupil had fallen.

"It is obvious this contest will not be decided by our knowledge of the Force, but by our skills with a lightsaber."Dooku whirled his lightsaber in a formal salute.

Yoda drew his lightsaber next. Suddenly, Dooku charged across the space at Yoda. He rained down blows upon the tiny figure. Yoda didn't budge an inch.

For the first part of the 'contest', he parried every cut and thrust that Dooku aimed. Nothing the great swordsman tried could get through. His energy drained. His strokes became feeble, slower.

Yoda then attacked. He flew forward and Dooku was forced to retreat. Words were insufficient to describe the range and skill of Yoda's speed and swordplay. His lightsaber was a humming blur of light.

Finally, their blades cross and the fighting slows.

"Fought well you have, my old Padawan." Yoda gently while keeping Dooku's blade back.

"The battle is far from over. This is just the beginning." Dooku snarled.

Then, with all his might, Dooku used the Force to pull on one of the cranes in the hanger. It came crashing down toward Obi-Wan and Anakin who awoke. In the blink of an eye, Anakin and Obi-Wan attempted to hold up the crane, using the Force. Yoda closes his eyes and concentrated, adding his strength to the two fallen Jedi and moved the crane aside. Dooku ran up the ship's ramp, throwing a look back before going inside.

The sound of the Sail Ship's engines were heard starting up and a second later Dooku's Sail Ship took off. Obi-Wan and Anakin struggled to the exhausted Yoda, but it was too late. The Sail Ship rose into the air and flew away.

Geonosis
Orbit
USS Enterprise
Bridge

"Admiral, sensors detecting another ship coming up from the planet. It matches Count Dooku's Solar Sailor." Spock reported.

Kirk turned to the view screen, watching as the Solar Sailor deployed its 'sail', flying past the Trade Federation battleships that were returning to their original configuration. "Track him as best as you can, Mr. Spock. I have a feeling that we'll need to keep a close eye on him."

Spock raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Uhura, send my congratulations to whoever the Republic High Command is and inform them that we are offering medical aid for their wounded." Kirk continued, sitting back in his chair.

"Aye sir."

Geonosis
Asteroid Ring

Dooku's droid piloted his ship through the asteroid field circling Geonosis and into deep space.

Dooku's Secret Hangar

Padme ran to Anakin and threw her arms around him while Anakin barely able to stand up.

Inner Rim
Coruscant

Count Dooku's Interstellar Sail Ship glided through a deserted, burned-out part of Coruscant. The pilot droid maneuvered the ship into one of the empty buildings and landed. The ramp lowered and Dooku emerged, walking to where the hooded figure of Darth Sidious stood waiting.

Dooku bowed. "The Force is with us, Master Sidious."

"Welcome home, Lord Tyranus." Sidious greeted in his low and whispery voice. "You have done well."

"I bring you good news, my Lord." Dooku said, even if he knew that his Master already knew. "The war has begun."

"Excellent." Sidious replied, smiling. "Everything is going as planned."

Milky Way Galaxy
Sol System
USS Enterprise

"Admiral's Log, Supplemental: We have just returned from Geonosis, having spent more than a day with Dr. McCoy and our medical having helped with wounded clone troopers. I have submitted my report to Starfleet Command and so far they agree that the situation in the Skyriver Galaxy is grim. Senator Amidala's actions in going to Geonosis, against my advice and committing willful espionage on a non-aligned planet when her own planet was in the final stages of joining the United Federation of Planets has cast doubt on her character. Any planet that agrees to join the Federation, must also agree to the guidelines of non-interference in other cultures and sovereign nations.

One could argue that since Naboo still has a representative in the Galactic Senate, its status is unique aside from being the first planet outside of the Milky Way to apply for membership. It has also been argued that the Separatists were already preparing for war but even if that was true, Senator Amidala's decision followed by the arrival of the new clone army was the catalyst that declared this new war. It has been decided that Naboo's entry into the Federation will be postponed until there has been an inquiry but that may be the least of our problems."

End Log

Kirk entered the Sick Bay, finding Dr. McCoy at his work station. "You said you found something while you were treating the injured clones, Bones?"

"Yes." McCoy nodded, bringing up an image of a clone he had scanned and treated down on Geonosis. "First off, these clones are healthy and show a physicality that's consistent with military training. They are genetically identical to humans in every way without any sign of genetic modifications we've seen in other augments here in our galaxy."

"So they are human in every way?" Kirk asked.

"Not quite. These clones have shown signs of modifications, specifically in the region that controls the process of cellular decay and repair. These clones were created in five to ten years and they have already reached young adulthood." McCoy answered.

"They must have accelerated the aging process." Kirk stated.

"Yes and these clones were obviously made to grow as fast as reasonable possible to be ready for combat." McCoy scowled. "There's more to it than that though. My medical staff found something else when they scanned clones that possibly showed symptoms of head trauma." McCoy tapped the PADD and showed Kirk a zoom-in image of the clone's brain with a part of it highlighted. "A neurological implant of some form, possibly a bio-chip embedded in the brain, specifically in the area that controls emotional reactions. Scans confirmed it was installed into them at birth or at least in the early stages of their creation."

"Any theories why they would have a bio-chip installed in their brains?" Kirk questioned.

"I'm doctor, not a cloner." McCoy retorted. "All I can say is f ordered to do something they would personally dislike the bio-chip possibly ensures no emotions that would cause them to hesitate."

Kirk's mind was racing as he considered why such a thing would be needed. "Bones, compile everything you have and sent it to Starfleet Intelligence. I got a bad feeling something else is going on than just a civil being declared."

"I get a bad feeling when you say something like that." McCoy groaned but complied with Kirk's order.

Jedi Temple
Council Chamber

The beautiful temple basked in the red glow of the setting sun. Obi-Wan and Mace Windu were standing at the window, watching as Clone Troopers patrolled outside the temple and practically everywhere else on the planet.

"Do you believe what Count Dooku said about Sidious controlling the Senate?" Obi-Wan asked. "It doesn't feel right."

"Becoming unreliable, Dooku has." Yoda answered before Windu could. "Joined the dark side. Lies, deceit, creating mistrust are his ways now."

Windu held up a hand. "Never the less, I feel we should keep a closer eye on the Senate."

Yoda nodded. "I agree."

"Where is your apprentice?" Windu turned back to Obi-Wan.

"On his way to Naboo. He is escorting Senator Amidala home." Obi-Wan answered.

Padme had told him about Shmi being killed by terrorists during their time there. Anakin had been understandably shaken by the ordeal and Obi-Wan didn't blame him. He believed some time on Naboo would be good for him, especially in the wake of what had happened. Two hundred Jedi had gone to Geonosis and only twenty had returned.

Not to mention he had heard Naboo's entry into the United Federation of Planets had been postponed, following Padme's decision to go to Geonosis without clearance from the Queen or the Senate. The last thing that Starfleet wanted was to be dragged into the new war that was about to begin and potentially dragging the entire Milky Way in as well.

Two galaxies at war was something that had never happened in the vast long history of this galaxy.

Not that Obi-Wan could recall.

"I have to admit, without the clones, it would not have been a victory." Obi-Wan admitted.

"Victory? Victory, you say?" Obi-Wan turned and looked at the sad little Jedi sitting in the Council Chamber. "Master Obi-Wan, not victory. The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, this Clone War has!"

Military Staging Area

Palpatine, Bail Organa and the Mas Amedda, stood looking down at the square below. Tens of thousands of clone troops were drawn up in strict formation or moving forward in neat files to climb the ramps of the Military Assault Ships. On the balcony, Palpatine's expression was deeply sad. Everyone watched somberly as, in the square, loaded Assault Ships took off to take the troops onboard to fight on the Separatist worlds.

Others landed immediately in their place. The sky above was thick with transports. Clone troops marched and board the Ships.

The Great Clone War had begun...

Naboo
Lake Retreat
Lodge Garden

In a rose-covered arbor overlooking the sparkling lake, Anakin and Padme stood before a Naboo holy man. 3PO and R2 stood by, watching, as the holy man blessed the happy couple and, amid gently falling rose petals, Anakin and Padme kissed.