Disclaimer: In no way at all do I own any of the original character, locations, ships, or anything else mentioned in Star Wars. They are all owned by George Lucas. I only own my OC. Any similarities between this story and another are purely accidental.
A/N: It was hard to fit Lyra in the fight with Dooku, but I managed it! Yay!
randomness: Thank you! (Takes a bow)
Vuelve: Welcome to the story, and thank you for reviewing.
Masked Masquerader: I'm glad you liked the Geonosis scene.
xXxArwenxXx: Thank you! I'm not quite sure how many years are between AOTC and ROTS, but in my story I'm making it out to be three years.
Hoonah: Yes, Lyra is pronounced 'Lie-rah'. So far, I have written chapters up to the part in ROTS where Obi-Wan goes after Grievous in Utapau.
romantique desespere: You'll just have to wait and see! ; )
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The small fleet of ships flew around a corner to a large dusty red plain that was serving as a dock for the majority of the Separatist leaders' ships. Rapid laser fire from nearby towers forced the pilots into fervent evasive maneuvers, shaking the ship violently. The passengers all stumbled for handholds as Obi-Wan cried out, "Hold on!"
"Aim right above the fuel cells," advised Anakin as the pilot began to fire back at the towers.
Nodding, the pilot propelled two rockets which shot forward to hit the target at the point that Anakin had suggested. Lyra smiled proudly as the control towers crumpled, falling swiftly to the ground, coincidentally managing to crush several battle droids.
"Good call, my young Padawan," praised Obi-Wan.
The majority of the troop ships nearby broke away to land on the plains, and the four survivors in one of the few airborne vehicles saw the Jedi passengers come running out to address the gathered troopers. A fierce battle began on the desert between clones and battle droids, the Jedi taking on leadership roles in commanding the troops.
"Attack those Federation starships, quickly!" Lyra ordered, spotting the ships she and Obi-Wan had seen when the first landed on Geonosis.
Laser blasts quickly focused on the large spherical ships, but their rockets alone did not have enough firepower to bring any of them down, as their hull was too thick.
Fortunately Yoda's squad in the Forward Command Center did. Blue blasts of energy bombarded the nearest Federation ship, which immediately stopped its ascent and fell back to the ground. The dust from the crash obscured vision slightly, but the three Jedi aboard the ship spotted the small figure on a speeder bike racing through the desert.
"It's Dooku!" shouted Anakin. "Shoot him down!"
"We're out of rockets, sir," replied the pilot
"Follow him," replied Lyra, keeping her gaze on the Count's fleeing figure.
"We're going to need some help," Padmé told the three Jedi.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "There isn't time. We can handle him," said Obi-Wan, shouting over the hum of the ship's engines.
Dooku, however, was a cunning man. He was not going to simply flee and do nothing when he was being pursued. Lyra noted that the ships flanking his speeder had veered sharply to either side, but before she could point this out to anyone, they reappeared behind the ship, laser cannons firing at them. The ship rocked violently once more, causing Padmé to tumble out of the open side of the ship.
"Padmé!" shouted Anakin, staring in horror as Padmé hit the ground below. He turned to the pilot. "Put the ship down!"
"Don't let your personal feelings get in the way!" Obi-Wan told his apprentice. "Follow that speeder."
"Lower the ship!" repeated Anakin forcefully.
"Anakin, I can't take Dooku alone!" replied Obi-Wan. "I need you. If we catch him, we can end this war right now. We have a job to do!"
"I don't care!" shouted Anakin, his voce growing hoarse. "Put the ship down!"
"You'll be expelled from the Jedi Order!"
"I can't leave her!"
Lyra put a comforting hand on Anakin's arm. "Anakin, what would Padmé do if she were in your position?" she asked.
"She would do her duty," he replied resignedly.
Finally, the ship caught up with Dooku's speeder, which he had parked outside a control tower. The pilot let the ship hover beside it, and Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Lyra exited and ran inside the tower, lightsabers ignited.
Once inside, they saw Count Dooku standing in front of a control panel. His ship was parked beside it, making it clear that he didn't plan to stick around for long.
"You're going to pay for all the Jedi you've killed today, Dooku," said Anakin heatedly, pacing.
"We'll take him together," advised Obi-Wan under his breath. "You go in slowly from the—"
"No, I'm taking him now!"
"Anakin, no!" shouted Obi-Wan.
Anakin charged across the open space at the Count, his lightsaber raised. At the last moment, Dooku thrust out an arm and unleashed a blast of Sith lightning, which struck Anakin in the chest. The younger Jedi was hurled across the room, slamming into an opposite wall. He slumped to the ground, semi-conscious.
Dooku turned to Obi-Wan and Lyra. "As you can see, my Jedi powers are far beyond yours." He raised his hand, sending a stream of Sith lightning at the two Jedi. "Now, back down."
Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber, blocking the lightning. "I don't think so."
With that, the two Jedi engaged the Count in a fierce lightsaber battle. It immediately became clear that Dooku was an excellent swordsman—a master of the old style.
"You disappoint me, young Jedi. Yoda holds you both in such high esteem. Surely you can do better!"
Neither Jedi rose to the bait, and instead continued to batter their lightsabers against Dooku's. Likewise, the Sith Lord increased the tempo of his attack. As a result, Obi-Wan was wounded in his arm and his thigh. With a short cry of pain, he fell to the ground, his lightsaber skittering away.
The Count turned from Obi-Wan to Lyra, who had only allowed her gaze to stray to Obi-Wan for a moment. The two resumed the fight, green and red flashing in the dimmed light of the hangar.
Beads of perspiration had gathered on Lyra's forehead, and tiredness was on her face. But she continued on fighting. Dooku was perceptive, and had easily picked up on her tiredness.
"Give up," he said, blocking a blow intended for his chest. "You can't last against me."
Lyra did not reply, and instead continued fighting.
Dooku chuckled. "You have your mother's stubborn spirit, young Sanome. She died in a fight much like this one, you know. Against a Sith Lord." He shook his head. "Foolish woman."
The two had stopped fighting, and were now cautiously circling each other. "I don't believe you," replied Lyra adamantly, glaring.
"Oh, but it's true." Catching Lyra off-guard, he advanced forward and quickly sliced her lightsaber in half and slashed a wound across her stomach.
Lyra dropped to her knees, clutching the wound in pain. With her defenses lowered, Dooku used the Force to push Lyra back, towards Obi-Wan. She landed beside him, hitting the metal floor head-first.
Worriedly, Obi-Wan examined Lyra's head. There were no wounds, thankfully, and with her Force-abilities she would be awake in no time. Soon enough, her eyes fluttered open.
As soon as she did, Count Dooku approached the fallen Jedi. "Corelle received a threat from my Master," hissed Dooku, "saying that she would die if she did not surrender you to the Sith. In need of an apprentice, he decided on one who had a Force-sensitive parent."
Lyra said nothing, merely glaring hatefully at Dooku.
"Your mother ran, so my Master settled for another, Darth Maul, whose first mission was to kill her." He looked at Obi-Wan. "I believe you killed him back on Theed, ten years ago." Dooku raised his lightsaber, ready to strike Obi-Wan and Lyra. "You know, your mother died in pretty much the same way as you will."
Dooku brought his lightsaber down on the two, only to have it met by another.
"Brave of you boy, but I would have thought you had learned your lesson." Dooku looked at Anakin, who had blocked the red lightsaber with his own.
"I am a slow learner."
Using the Force, Obi-Wan called to him his lightsaber and tossed it to his Padawan. "Anakin!"
Anakin caught the lightsaber and immediately began to fight Dooku with it. However, even with two weapons, Dooku managed to get the better of him. He slashed one in half, rendering it useless. The fight continued, and Anakin sliced a power cable in half, plunging the hangar into darkness.
But despite the advantage of his youth, Anakin was quickly driven back. Dooku, in a single stroke, cut off his arm and used the Force push him back to land on his Master's booted feet.
Dooku stood over them, reveling in his victory, when there came a tapping noise from the open blast doors. Yoda entered the hangar, supporting himself on his cane.
"Master Yoda," Dooku greeted, turning away from his three victims.
"Count Dooku."
"You have interfered with our affairs for the last time."
Using the Force, he hurled various pieces of machinery at the diminutive Master, who merely flung them away with the Force. Dooku caused rocks from the ceiling to crumble to the ground, but Yoda stopped them as well. Enraged at Yoda's ability to deflect everything thrown at him, he unleashed bolts of Sith lightning. Yoda deflected these back at Dooku, who sent them up to the ceiling where it bounced harmlessly off the stone.
"Powerful you have become, Dooku," said Yoda. "The dark side I sense in you."
"I have become more powerful than any Jedi." Dooku raised his hand, sending stronger bolts of Sith lightning at the short Jedi. "Even you."
Yoda extended his hand, caught the bolts, and reduced them to nothing. "Much to learn you still have."
"It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force, but by our skills with a lightsaber," said Dooku, igniting his red laser sword.
Yoda calmly took out his lightsaber, igniting the green blade. Then all manner of calm disappeared as he leapt towards Dooku. The two battled fiercely, much faster then the eye could follow. Yoda attacked fiercely, performing a series of complicated jumps in order to evade and attack.
It did not take Dooku long to figure out he could not win this duel. Using the Force, he ripped a crane from the wall, letting it fall towards Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Lyra. Yoda turned to them, using the Force to hold the pillar up. As he did, Dooku took the opportunity to run to his ship.
Finally, the pillar was off of them. Lyra got up, helping Anakin so Obi-Wan could get up too.
Obi-Wan let Lyra lean against his chest. He looked down at her. "Are you okay?"
She looked up at him, smiling slightly. "Never been better," she replied, wincing as she put a hand to the wound on her stomach.
Padmé rushed into the hangar, her blaster at her side, and flung her arms around Anakin.
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Later, at sunset, Obi-Wan and Lyra had met with Yoda and Mace Windu in the Council Chambers to discuss the day's events. In particular, Dooku's revelation about the Sith and the Senate.
"Do you believe what Count Dooku said about Sidious controlling the Senate?" asked Obi-Wan quietly. "It doesn't feel right."
"Joined the Dark Side Dooku has," said Yoda from his chair. "Lies, deceit, creating mistrust are his ways now."
"Nevertheless, I feel we should keep a closer eye on the Senate," Mace suggested.
Yoda nodded. "I agree."
"Where is your apprentice?" Mace asked Obi-Wan, changing the subject.
"On his way to Naboo, escorting Senator Amidala home," answered Obi-Wan.
There was a few moments of silence, before Lyra spoke up. "I have to admit, that without the clones it would not have been a victory."
"Victory? Victory, you say?"
The three Jedi turned to Yoda, who was staring sadly out the window. "Master Lyra, not victory. The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun the Clone War has."
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THE END
(FOR NOW)
A/N: Wow! I can't believe it's the ending of AOTC already! I can't believe I got this far! I'm so happy! And about that thing with Lyra's mother…you didn't actually think I was gonna leave the cause of her death a mystery forever, huh?