A/N: Hi everyone! So here's chapter 13, immediately following chapter 12. Wow….I'm getting really good at posting these chapters in a somewhat timely manner. Don't get used to it; I usually can't stick to an updating schedule to save my life, so we'll have to see what happens. Speaking of, I hope you like this chapter. I took a little bit of inspiration from other fanfictions I've read and the movies themselves, so I hope it's a good one. The next chapter is almost finished as well and should be along soon.
Until then, please read, review and enjoy! See you next time!
Treachery in the Senate! The Jedi Council suspects that Senator Rush Clovis is secretly taking part in a Separatist conspiracy. But to find out what the Senator from Scipio is up to, the Council will need a spy of its own. Meanwhile, Jedi Anakin Skywalker has been away from Coruscant on a lengthy tour of duty leading the clone army. Now Anakin returns for a long-awaited reunion with his wife, Padmé Amidala….
It had been a little over four weeks since the Zillo Beast had destroyed quite a bit of Coruscant, and the new year had come and gone two weeks ago, but still, there had been no gains in finding Kit Fisto. The Jedi just couldn't track him down, and Grievous made sure to stay in the depths of Separatist space where the Republic couldn't go. The cyborg intended to make sure the Jedi wouldn't be able to find, much less rescue, Kit and was taking every precaution he could to make sure he didn't get away.
But everyone has a weakness, and Grievous' desire to kill Jedi was his. He would make a move again, and the Republic would be ready to counter it.
In the meantime, Padmé and Anakin found themselves on the world of Cato Neimodia, working to determine if Rush Clovis was involved in a conspiracy with the Separatists. The irony wasn't lost on the half-Nautolan, but at least Padmé was better at hiding it. Needing to get information from the Trade Federation as well, the young woman had stowed away with Padmé and Anakin as they left Coruscant and headed for the distant planet. Even from her hiding place, the half-Nautolan could sense the jealousy coming from Skywalker regarding Padmé's relationship with Clovis, and found herself dreading every second of the journey.
No matter what happened, she was taking a different way home.
Space pirates would be easier to deal with than that.
Finally arriving in the bridge city where the Trade Federation headquarters were located, the woman waited for the two Senators and undercover Jedi to leave the ship before sneaking out. Keeping to the shadows of the city until dark, she was able to sneak into the headquarters and get to where the servers were. Knowing the last thing she needed was a confrontation, she got in by way of the ventilation ducts, dropping down lightly onto the ground and quickly slicing her way into the servers.
Rebuffed by several layers of encryption and firewalls, she spent the better part of an hour working her way past the security precautions, unaware of what was happening outside as Padmé found the plans for droid foundries on Geonosis and was poisoned by Lott Dod. But finally, she was able to get in just as Anakin and Padmé left the planet and Clovis to deal with the Trade Federation. Quickly accessing the files while downloading what she could, she searched for the location of something that not even the Jedi believed existed.
But she knew it was there; she just didn't know how to find it or get to it.
As this was happening, Clovis was dealing with Lott Dod, trying to convince him that he was still worth being kept alive. Dod didn't really believe it, but right before he could order someone to kill Clovis, there was a frantic transmission to him: "Sir, someone has hacked into our system! They're downloading...well….everything. And moving too fast in the system for us to get ahead and stop them!"
"Where are they? Are they here on Cato Neimodia?" Dod asked, and the reply was immediate: "Yes, they are. In the server room!"
"Send droids there immediately to take care of the situation!" Dod ordered, "I don't want anyone knowing where those credits are going!" turning back to Clovis, he said darkly, "Looks like today is your lucky day, Senator. Instead of having you killed, I need to deal with a security breach. I'm sure you understand."
Clovis only curled his lip as he was led away by battle droids, and Dod hurried to the server room. When he got there, he was surprised to see the droids sent to deal with the intruder were cut to pieces, but there was no sign that it had been a lightsaber or where the intruder had gone. More guards and droids arrived then, and Dod had them go inside and check the servers. A guard came back after a few minutes and said, "The room is empty, sir. Whoever did this has left already."
Dod scowled before turning to his comlink and asking, "What did they get?"
After a few seconds, his worst fear was confirmed, "Everything, sir. They got everything."
As this was happening, the half-Nautolan was crawling through the air vents as fast and as quietly as she could. She knew that Padmé and Anakin had left, and therefore she didn't have a ride off this planet, which meant she would have to either steal one and then get rid of it as quickly as possible or hitch a ride. And with the building in an uproar after what Padmé, and then she, had done, there was no way someone wouldn't notice her stealing a ship.
Which meant she would have to hitch a ride.
Nodding to herself, she continued in the vent, eventually reaching the end of the line and pushing the vent cap out, listening to it hit the ground below her. Carefully sticking her head out, she saw she was alone and in an alley near the Trade Federation headquarters. Looking both ways, she pulled the rest of her body out of the duct and jumped down to the ground, landing in a crouch before slipping away towards the hangar bay. If she waited long enough, she knew a ship would take off, and that was when she could make her escape. In the meantime, she would review the files she had taken and see if something there would lead her to her main quarry.
And if nothing else, it would help her figure out her next move.
Back in the Trade Federation's communication center, Lott Dod was working himself into a nervous wreck while waiting for the transmission to be accepted by his financier. Some people just couldn't take bad news, and his employer was one of them. After a few minutes, the transmission went through, and he was looking at the cloaked and hooded figure of Darth Sidious. Seeing the Sith Lord caused every fear Dod had in life to come to the fore in full force, but he did what he could to force them down.
He was only partially successful.
After a few moments, he swallowed and said with more than a quiver of fear in his voice, "My lord, we have a problem."
Sidious only stood there, waiting. Finally, the Neimoidian was forced to say, "Someone broke into our server room and accessed our files. They downloaded everything, and we haven't been able to find them."
Now there was a response from Sidious, but only a slight smile, and Dod was surprised to see this reaction, having expected the Sith Lord to call for his head as soon as he heard the news.
Which only made his fear much worse than it already was.
Tucked away in a ship that was leaving the planet and bound for who knew where after manipulating the mind of the inspector that had checked the ship before it took off, the half-Nautolan settled in for the ride as she accessed the files once more, quickly scanning and analyzing them before realizing she had struck out. While the information was helpful for the Conspiracy and would definitely help from that end, it did nothing for her and what she was looking for.
But it looked like the next clue was on Geonosis, so she would have to get to that desert world as quickly as possible.
Realizing this, she sighed as she sat back and leaned her head against the wall of the storage container she was hiding in.
She hated desert planets with a passion, and now she was about to be stuck on one for who knew how long.
She had no way of knowing it was a trap.
While the half-Nautolan spirited herself away to prepare for her next adventure and mission, back on Coruscant, Dr. Boll met with Yoda, Mace Windu, Chancellor Palpatine, and Speaker Mas Amedda to discuss her latest findings regarding the young woman.
"I was able to show the DNA profile and markers to several colleagues, and they all reached the same conclusion. They all recognized the work and markers used as belonging to a Nautolan geneticist named Tristan Darka," Dr. Boll said, "He was a skilled geneticist during the aftermath of the Old Republic and died a long time ago. Apparently, his work was revolutionary and cutting-edge for the time, and he was considered a skilled surgeon as well."
"Then how is his work replicated in this one?" the Speaker asked, "Surely she hasn't lived that long?"
"I don't know," Dr. Boll said, "I can't find any records of anyone continuing his work after he passed, and the records regarding his lab seem to have been lost to time. I can't find what happened to it, or even where it was, but my colleagues are of the opinion that his work is the reason she seems so capable and healthy. For a half-Nautolan, that is, although they have nothing but old lab reports to compare her to. I have sent them samples of the DNA she left behind; hopefully, they will have more answers."
"And in the meantime, we still should make an effort to find this person," Mace said, "Even if the only lead regarding her is ancient and has been dead for a long time, we should still attempt it, especially since the Monarchy of Glee Anselm has sent word that they won't stop until she is dead. She needs the protection of the Jedi and the Republic until an arrangement can be made with the king and queen. Until then, she is in danger everywhere she goes."
"Agreed," Yoda said, "A skilled fighter, she may be. But soon, attempt to fight an enemy she cannot, she will. Find her swiftly, we must. Protect her, we should."
Mace nodded before turning to the others, "We will be planning an invasion of Geonosis in the coming weeks. Once the planet is secure again, we plan to put a task force of our most skilled Jedi together to track her down and bring her to the Temple. Hopefully, she may be more trusting of us by then."
"I hope so," Palpatine said, "If we can convince her that she will be safe here in the Republic, then perhaps she will stop running from us and speak with us. I, for one, have many questions, as I'm sure you do as well," looking at the Jedi and scientist as he said this.
Mace nodded, "Many of our questions we will try and answer in the weeks and months ahead, but for now, the invasion of Geonosis needs to be planned. If you could send us a sample of her blood as well, Dr. Boll, it would be greatly appreciated. We would like to check her midi-cholrian count for ourselves and see if that tells us anything," the doctor nodding as the two Jedi stood up, Mace adding, "If you will excuse us?"
"Of course," Palpatine said, standing and nodding his head respectfully to the Jedi as they left the room. Once they were gone and the door closed, the Chancellor turned to Dr. Boll and said, "I believe I had another request for you?"
"Yes, Chancellor," the scientist said, "In regards to cloning the half-Nautolan, I don't think it will be possible. The geneticists I spoke with took one look at the DNA and agreed that the combination was likely a one-time thing. None of them seemed overly optimistic about the DNA combining again in the right way. Without Tristan Darka to lead them, they were very unwilling to try. They don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past and cause innocent children to suffer a painful, short life."
The Chancellor nodded thoughtfully before saying, "Well, it was worth considering the attempt, even though I am disappointed that none of your colleagues felt comfortable trying. But you have given me a lot to think about, doctor, so thank you for your time."
"Of course, Chancellor," Dr. Boll said, bowing her head and leaving the room with the Speaker, leaving Palpatine to turn and stare out the windows at the night laying itself over the city, wondering if it was time to consider another option in regards to the half-Nautolan.
Perhaps he needed to reach into a reserve he had been building up over time and make use of it since there was no way of knowing where the half-Nautolan would strike next.
Counterattack! With the clone army stretched in a desperate attempt to engage General Grievous' Starfleet, Separatists planets that were once thought secure are now rising up against the Republic. On Geonosis, Separatist leader Poggle the Lesser, safe in his newly ray-shielded factories, creates thousands of terrible new weapons which march off the assembly line against the outnumbered clone army. The Jedi, resolute in their effort to restore order to the Republic, mount a massive invasion to retake Geonosis and shut down Poggle's factories of terror once and for all….
Arriving with their invasion force and looking at the desert plant of Geonosis only a few weeks after the meeting with the Chancellor, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ki-Adi Mundi couldn't help but remember what had happened the last time they had been there, "I cannot believe we're back here again," Obi-Wan said as they looked at the desert planet before them.
"It is unfortunate," Master Mundi said, "The resistance from the native Geonosians was stronger than we anticipated."
"The same can be said for their loyalty to Count Dooku," Obi-Wan added.
"A fact that is often overlooked," Master Mundi agreed, turning back to the planet below them. They stared down at the desert planet for a few moments longer before Obi-Wan said quietly, "He would want to be here for this."
"Master Fisto?" Ki-Adi asked, "Yes, I think he would, and hopefully, the next time we need him for his sense of humor and his skill, he is there. I actually find myself missing him some days, and I think many in the Temple feel the same way."
Obi-Wan nodded slowly as Anakin and Ahsoka joined them, "I never thought I would miss that smile of his until he wasn't there to give it. I hope we find him soon."
"We have ships and spies all over the Outer Rim and Separatist space looking for Master Fisto, Master," Anakin said, having heard that part of the conversation, "We'll find him; I know we will."
"In what condition is what I'm concerned about," Obi-Wan said quietly before saying more loudly, "You're late. What took you so long?"
"Sorry, Master," Anakin said, "Ahsoka and I were busy routing the seppies near Dorin," Ahsoka looking up from the monitor before her to say proudly, "My squadron alone had 55 kills."
"Yeah, but mine had 76," Anakin said, clearly not about to let his Padawan have the moment, causing Ahsoka to roll her eyes, "Show-off," was all she said.
"Well, I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves," Obi-Wan said, not impressed by his former Padawan's and Ahsoka's penchant for trouble. Anakin was more at ease, saying, "It's just a little friendly competition, Master. Nothing to worry about."
"What I worry about is the way this war seems to be drawing out with no end in sight," Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard, causing Master Mundi to say, "Which is why it is crucial our invasion of Geonosis meets with success."
"Agreed," Anakin said, immediately becoming serious as he turned to Ahsoka, "Ahsoka, contact the Outer Rim command. We're ready for our briefing."
"They're already waiting for us," Ahsoka said as she turned to them, smiling and clearly ready for action.
The next few days would be fun; that was a guarantee.
As the Republic prepared for the invasion and began launching gunships and fighters, the half-Nautolan was already on the planet. She had been dropped off by the Ghost, giving the droids explicit instructions not to be shot down or come out of hiding until she sent for them. R1 was getting the fighter prepped in case it was needed for a quick getaway, while Chopper got the hyperdrive to behave itself in case she was off-world when she signaled for them. She had also left her comlink behind so that the Jedi and Separatists wouldn't pick up any signals she sent and traced them back to the Ghost. She didn't want anyone to know she had that ship right now. She wasn't sure how she was getting off the planet yet, but she knew she wouldn't be using the Ghost.
Now alone on the planet surface, but this time wearing more clothing to protect her skin from the baking sun, the half-Nautolan trudged through the sands in the direction of the primary droid foundry. She knew she couldn't land too close to the foundry and therefore had landed a few clicks away and made her approach on foot. It was a long walk and made harder by the heat, even though she kept to the shade created by the rock structures to not feel the worst of it, using what she knew about desert survival to find water and not be affected by heatstroke.
Just as the invasion signal started to be broadcast throughout Geonosis, she finally made it to the droid foundry. She watched from the shadows of a nearby overhang as the Republic started making their landing attempts. Many ships were shot down, but many more were able to land. She could sense Luminara Unduli, Anakin Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano among them. Also, there was another Jedi she didn't recognize right away, but seconds later, she realized it was a Cerean. She didn't know who it was, but that wasn't her concern at the moment as she left the cool protection of the overhang and started heading for the foundry. She had no way of knowing that Obi-Wan was staying behind on the cruiser to come up with a plan to destroy it, and that wasn't her concern as she started looking for a way in. A friend of hers had supplied her with the schematics of the foundry, and she had memorized them and the tunnels underneath, as well as found the cave that led into the tunnels.
Blocking out the noise of battle and death with the ease of long practice, she slipped into the tunnels under the foundry, navigating them quickly and relying on the map she had memorized. After a few turns and heading up through ceilings, she made it into the main part of the foundry. From there, she sprinted for the control room and slipped inside easily enough. The room was unguarded; Poggle clearly thought he didn't need to worry about security with the shield keeping people out. Orienting herself quickly, she found the computer she was looking for and started accessing the files, slipping a small disc into the console as she did so that would download everything and send it to another location a few systems away, piggybacking off the Republic's communications as well as the Separatists's.
It was a highly advanced piece of technology that was also highly illegal, but that was not something she was worried about right now.
The Force shifted then, and she started to turn but wasn't fast enough as a blaster sent a stun charge straight at her, making her realize she had gotten cocky and just made a critical mistake. It caught her full in the chest but wasn't enough to knock her unconscious, at least not right away. She still collapsed on her knees, not used to being stunned anymore and realizing she needed to rebuild her tolerance to it, but she still tried to get up and fight. She was still feeling the effects of the stun to do much, though, and the Geonosians always swarmed their opponents when they attacked.
Which meant there was no way for her to fight her way out as they piled on top of her. The weight became too much for her and made it hard to breathe, and combined with the stun charge, she slowly succumbed to unconsciousness; the last thing she saw was the smug face of Poggle the Lesser and his tactical droid right behind him.
Then everything went black.
Unaware of what was happening inside the foundry, Anakin, Luminara, and Ki-Adi had successfully infiltrated the factory's defenses and destroyed the shield. Without the shield's protection, the factory could now be destroyed, but that wouldn't be an easy feat. And so Obi-Wan came down to relieve Master Mundi since he had been wounded and brought along Luminara's Padawan Barriss Offee. Deciding to trust the two Padawans with the vital task of destroying the factory from the inside, Anakin and Obi-Wan took their clones out to the east, looking for a communication relay station that needed to be destroyed.
One of their spies had also confirmed it was where Dooku liked to stay whenever he visited Geonosis, so the Jedi were hoping he would be there and could be taken captive.
Accompanying the Jedi were Captain Rex and Commander Cody, as usual. Cody's clones consisted of Longshot, Waxer, Boil, Wooley, Gadget, Switch, Snap, and another clone that hadn't picked a name yet, so his unit just started calling him Ghost after Ghost Squadron. Rex had chosen Echo, Fives, Jesse, Kix, Boomer, Namer, and Hardcase. Once they were ready to go, they had set out, making good time east towards an arena the Geonosians liked to use for their version of games.
Obi-Wan and Anakin remembered it for much worse entertainment.
As they walked, the clones kept a close eye for anything out of the ordinary, keeping on their toes and leaving the Jedi to discuss recent events. But the Jedi were also vigilant, not leaving anything to chance, which was a good thing because, after a few hours, Anakin asked suddenly, "What is that?" squinting through the dust and sand at something glinting off the sun.
The clones all pointed their blasters in that direction, Obi-Wan and Anakin taking their lightsabers but not igniting them as they walked closer to the object. It was only a few hundred meters or so off in the distance, and when they got to it, they were surprised at what they saw. It was Dooku's solar sailer on a landing pad near the communication relay. In the near distance were the walls of the arena. Seeing the ship, Obi-Wan said, "Well, at least we know Dooku's here."
"Looks like Ventress is here too, sir," Cody said as he handed his general some macrobinoculars. Taking them and zooming in, the Jedi was able to see Ventress standing near the ship and waiting as Dooku got off and spoke with her. They both disappeared inside the station then, and Anakin said, "Think we can blow it up with them still inside?"
"I doubt it," Obi-Wan said, purposefully ignoring his former Padawan's terrible sense of humor, "We need to complete the mission and destroy the station. If we can capture Dooku and Ventress, great, but if not, it is not a primary concern."
"One of them could lead us to Master Fisto," Anakin said nonchalantly, and Obi-Wan resisted the urge to grit his teeth in frustration. While he would have given his right arm to find Kit and rescue him, he knew he needed to keep his mind on the here and now if he wanted the mission to succeed and make it possible for the Republic to retake Geonosis. In the end, all he said was, "We need to complete the mission we were assigned, Anakin."
Anakin said nothing to that and only nodded, but Obi-Wan could sense he wasn't happy about it. After a few minutes, they moved on, searching for a way into the station, not knowing the trap being laid for them.
She woke up with a start and gasp, sitting up immediately and looking around wildly before looking straight ahead at the ray shield keeping her contained. She immediately tried to put her head in her hand but found she couldn't move it. Looking down, she was surprised to see that her hands were bound together with binders. The kind of binders designed for Jedi that tightened the more a person struggled. Seconds later, she tried again, feeling around her neck and relaxing when she felt her necklace was still there.
She had no idea what she would do if that was taken from her.
Looking up and around, she saw that she was still underground, but the sounds of the factory were gone, and she realized that she was now far away from the foundry.
If the Jedi had already destroyed it, it might not be that bad of a thing after all.
Pushing herself to her feet, she looked around her small cell for a few more minutes before walking as close to the shield as she could. Looking through it, she was just able to see a Geonosian standing guard. Once the guard saw she was awake and moving, he immediately left, returning a few moments later with someone she hadn't been expecting to see: Count Dooku.
He looked at her in what could only be called wonder for a few minutes before finally saying, "So, the rumor was true, and here you are. I'm actually surprised you fell for the trap my master and I laid for you on Cato Neimodia; my master was of the opinion you were too smart to fall for such things, and yet here you are. You certainly aren't what I was expecting when I heard there was a half-Nautolan roaming the galaxy, mostly since I didn't think one could exist. To be honest, I have never heard of such a thing happening. But the Monarchy of Glee Anselm made you look like something more than you are, but I think my expectations were too high now that I see you. I don't see how you could be that dangerous."
The half-Nautolan only looked at him for a few seconds longer before slowly walking closer to the ray shield that separated them. She continued to stare at him as she slowly raised her hands, her left hanging limply while she slowly pressed her right against the shield, the Force drawing itself to her. A few seconds later, she started pressing against the shield, and Dooku watched in shock and surprise as her hand slowly came through the shield undamaged and stayed there for a few seconds. She withdrew her hand only then, but the point had been made.
She was much stronger in the Force than Dooku had initially thought, so maybe she was a bit more dangerous than he now believed.
Her demonstration done, she cocked her head with a mocking light in her eyes and stared at him for a few moments in a way that would have made a lesser being uncomfortable, but Dooku was only amused and scoffed slightly, causing the half-Nautolan to turn her head and stare off into the corner of the cell, not bothering to dignify him with any other response or reaction. Seeing this, Dooku smiled and said, "You certainly are a stubborn one, just like Kit Fisto. I wonder if you want to talk to him? I'm sure we can arrange it if you like. After that, he goes to the Monarchy and you stay with me, and then both of you die. That's all that matters to me, and my Master, in the end."
The only indication that she had heard him was the slight tightening of her jaw, but that was all. Seeing this, Dooku added, "So that is your weakness: Kit Fisto. He is someone you care about, and now you can do nothing to help him. You will die today, but I have decided to make it a bit more interesting; otherwise, I'm afraid the Geonosians won't be as hospitable to me next time. If you were wondering, you are right near the arena that started the entire war. And Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are heading right for it. I'm sure they will be here presently, so I will need to deal with them. If you'll excuse me," turning and walking away, leaving the half-Nautolan to wait for whatever came next.
Once he was well and truly gone, the young woman went to the back of her cell and sat down, centering herself and slipping into a light meditation. Whatever came next, she would need her strength.
"On your left!"
The call came just in the nick of time, and Anakin dropped to the ground to avoid a blaster bolt that would have hit him in the head. Near him, Obi-Wan pivoted on his heel and cut through two droids, sending the head of one into the chest of another that had been attempting to sneak up behind him. Anakin then scrambled to his feet, decapitating a Geonosian as he wondered how things had gone wrong so quickly.
One moment they were looking for a way into the communication station; the next, they were being attacked on all sides by droids and Geonosians. With the communications jammed and no way to call for help, they were stranded. Still, one thing the Jedi had noticed immediately was that it didn't look like the enemy wanted to kill them. A few of their men were already down, but they were only unconscious, which made no sense to either Jedi. But there was no time to think about it as the Jedi and clones tried to fight their way through and escape while also dragging along the unconscious members of their group.
But that was getting harder and harder to do as the downed clones started outnumbering the ones that were still up and fighting.
"Look out!"
Immediately Anakin dropped, but this time the call wasn't for him; it was for Obi-Wan. But this was one of those moments when communication needed to be relayed more clearly, because Obi-Wan didn't think it was for him, and by the time he figured it out, it was too late, and he dropped unconscious to the ground. Seeing his master go down, Anakin looked around and looked for any clones he could rally, but he was the last one standing. Surrounded on all sides, Anakin still fought as hard as possible, but there was only so much one Jedi could do against those numbers.
A stun charge sent him to his knees, and another charge caused him to collapse, eventually falling unconscious just like those around him.
Once he was out, Dooku appeared with Ventress, the two of them walking among the fallen clones and Jedi for a few moments before Dooku said, "Let the games begin," as the droids started dragging their new prisoners into the caves under the arena to get them ready for what came next.
And what came next would be their deaths.
The sound of dripping water was the first thing Obi-Wan noticed first. He even tried to block it out so that he could sleep a bit longer, but the water just wouldn't stop dripping. Finally, with an inward sigh of annoyance, he tried to open his eyes, deciding when he couldn't do that if this was another one of Anakin's pranks, he would make sure his former apprentice was stuck doing inventory for the next cycle, regardless of what he said.
The dripping sound continued, and after a few seconds, Obi-Wan became aware enough to notice other things. The air was stale and didn't smell all that pleasant, there was movement near him, and it was rather dark. After a few minutes, he could make out the sounds of several voices that all sounded the same, speaking in low tones.
"….waking up…."
"Should we….someone….?"
"….good….do….?"
A familiar voice asked a few seconds later, "General, are you awake?"
Obi-Wan only opened his eyes and looked into the face of a rather scarred clone, "Cody?"
Cody nodded quickly, relaxing minutely as he helped his general sit up, Obi-Wan's hand going to his head to try and massage the headache away, "Yes, sir, I'm here. Rest of Ghost Squadron is here as well."
Obi-Wan opened his eyes then and looked around, ignoring the fact the clones were awake before he was, seeing all the clones in yellow-painted armor sitting or standing around, all looking at him with varying degrees of concern until he looked at each of them individually. Only then did they relax, although the one clone, Waxer, kept an eye out at the cell door. A bit more awake now, Obi-Wan asked, "Where's General Skywalker?"
Cody hesitated a moment before saying, "A few cells down with his men. He and Rex were trying to think up an escape plan the last time we talked to them."
"How long has is it been?" Obi-Wan asked as he stood up and brushed some dust off before looking down and realizing his lightsaber was gone.
Perfect, like this day couldn't get any worse.
Cody shrugged, "A few hours, I think. It's hard to tell time down here. Wouldn't mind knowing where my helmet is if I'm being honest, though."
Boil spoke up then, "The bugs took 'em when we were brought here. I'm not sure why, though."
"I think we're about to find out," Waxer said as he stepped away from the door as a familiar figure appeared.
"Dooku," Obi-Wan said, "And here I thought this mission would be unpleasant."
The Count only smiled as he adjusted his cloak, revealing Anakin's lightsaber next to his own. Ventress was right behind him, Obi-Wan's lightsaber attached to her belt. Obi-Wan frowned, but Ventress only smiled slightly before walking away, clearly having something else she needed to do. Dooku said once she was gone, "It's a shame you came so far to fail, Master Jedi."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, "I believe the Republic is close to securing the planet, Count. I don't see how that could be a failure."
Dooku nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, they did. Geonosis is back under Republic control, but you have still failed. You failed to destroy the communication station, and now you are my prisoners. Along with someone else," turning to look over his shoulder into the ray-shielded cell across from Obi-Wan's. Looking closely and narrowing his eyes, Obi-Wan could just make out someone sitting in the back of the cell, cross-legged and meditating, their hands bound together with binders. Sensing she was being watched, she looked up, and Obi-Wan was surprised to see it was the half-Nautolan. The clones that hadn't seen her before were also surprised, having never seen anything like her before, but she ignored them after a few minutes and went back to meditating.
"She was captured infiltrating the factory you were going to destroy, Kenobi," Dooku said, "Poggle captured her before the Republic did destroy it and brought her here. She is even less talkative than you."
"And where is here?" Obi-Wan asked with feigned politeness.
Dooku smiled slightly before walking away and saying over his shoulder, "You remember how the war first started, right?"
Hearing that, Obi-Wan's heart sank, while Cody turned to him in confusion and asked, "What does he mean by that, General?"
Obi-Wan turned to him and asked, "Were you involved in the first attack on Geonosis?"
Cody shook his head, "No, sir, I wasn't."
"Well, you didn't miss much," Obi-Wan said as he looked at the rest of the clones before turning back to Cody, "Last time I was chained to a pole and attacked by several humongous monsters."
"That sounds….entertaining," Cody said neutrally, while a few clones had to hide their smiles and snickers.
"It was….for the Geonosians," Obi-Wan said as he crossed his arms, "And I get the sense that is what will happen here. And the Republic has no idea where we are."
The clones immediately sobered up and stopped smiling, while Obi-Wan looked around the cell for a few minutes before asking, "Is it safe to assume you have already tried to escape?"
"Yes, sir," Ghost piped up, "We got nowhere. The walls are too thick, and that door won't budge even if we set a grenade off next to it."
Obi-Wan nodded slowly before saying, "So we are stuck here until an opportunity presents itself," looking out of the cell, he called out quietly, "Can you hear me?"
The clones all looked, watching as the half-Nautolan opened her eyes with an irritated expression and looked at the Jedi. She said nothing, and after a few seconds, Obi-Wan asked, "Can you understand me? Can you speak at all?"
The irritation grew on her face even more, and she glared at the Jedi before shuffling around so her back was facing him and the outside, having a hard time doing so with her hands bound before her; Dooku clearly taking no chances that his prize would get away. Now that she was a bit more in the light, Obi-Wan could see she was dressed more realistically for the desert sun: tunic and trousers and her empty utility belt, much like a Jedi, with boots up to her knees. Her gloves were still there, but her comlink and bracelets were gone, and her tunic's arms only went down to her elbows. Her hair was braided similarly to when they first saw her on Naboo but had a few ribbons tied into it to give it some color, even though the ribbons were dirty with grit and sand. It reminded Kenobi of Belasco, where the people decorated their hair elaborately, so he tried again, "Are you from Belasco? Will you help us get out of here?"
She continued to ignore him, and finally, Obi-Wan sighed and turned away, saying, "It looks like we are on our own. We should try and formulate a plan while we are here, just so that when someone does come for us, we have a plan that might work."
Cody only looked dubious about the entire thing but nodded, while the rest of the clones didn't look all that optimistic. Craning his head as much as he could, Obi-Wan was able to look down the hallway in the direction of Anakin's cell, sensing the frustration the younger Jedi felt.
Now that he thought about it, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated about the entire situation as well.
Down the hallway, Anakin was feeling the frustration of not being able to do anything, and it was reflected in a few of his troops as well. Kix was looking over what little medical supplies he had left that the droids and bugs hadn't taken, Fives and Echo were placing bets on how long it would take for them to get out of there, and the others were watching Hardcase pace. The clone was a bit hyperactive, which made him a good soldier, but also made him want to jump into any and all situations as hard and fast as he could.
Sitting still was not something he could do.
Finally, Anakin turned to his men and said, "We might as well get comfortable. We'll be here for a while, if I know Dooku at all."
"Yes, sir," Rex said, not getting up from where he was sitting and looking about as upset as Skywalker at the moment. When Anakin had woken up and seen his clones, he was surprised to see them without their helmets and grew concerned when Jesse had told him the bugs had taken their helmets and their weapons.
Dooku had come then and taunted Skywalker for a few minutes, and it was then that the young Jedi had noticed that Dooku had his lightsaber, again. That was more than Anakin had been able to take, but there was nothing he could do about it as the Count had walked away, leaving Anakin and Rex to formulate a plan to get out of the cell.
It hadn't worked, but they had kept trying until they heard Cody and the others a few cells down talking. They had called back and forth for a few minutes before finally falling silent, and Anakin was worried about what it all meant.
The fact they were alive was a good thing, but he had heard Dooku's parting words to Obi-Wan and couldn't help but dread what it meant.
If what the Count had said was true, they were in for a rather unpleasant time.
Above them, the arena was being set up and prepared, the creatures the Jedi would be fighting getting whipped into a frenzy and aggravated. Dooku smiled as he watched the preparations. The last arena battle hadn't ended all that favorably for him and the Geonosians, but now it was time to succeed this time. This time the Jedi would die, and he would be able to rally the Geonosians again to the Separatist cause.
And when the half-Nautolan died, his Master would be pleased with him and perhaps tell him what was so important about her.
The final surge. Having learned of warlord Poggle the Lesser's plot to rebuild a Separatist droid foundry on Geonosis, Jedi Knight Luminara Undule and her Padawan, Barriss Offee, prepare to assault this heavily-fortified installation. Their mission: destroy the factory at all costs. Anticipating stiff resistance, Republic commanders send Ahsoka Tano and her squad from the 501st, to reinforce the attack. But time runs short for our intrepid heroes as the dreaded droid mill nears completion….
As Luminara, Ahsoka, and Barriss destroyed the factory and shut it down completely, Poggle escaped. Before a search could be organized for him, word reached the three Jedi that Anakin and Obi-Wan were overdue for a check-in. Luminara only assumed it was Anakin being irresponsible, but Ahsoka couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was wrong and urged Luminara to take action. The Jedi Master was reluctant initially, but once Admiral Yularen confirmed it was unlike both Anakin and Obi-Wan to be out of communication in the way they were, she had agreed that something needed to be done. But most of their forces were needed to destroy the factory, so she had asked Yularen to find other men that could be spared.
Yularen had obeyed immediately, sending out a group of clones to track down the missing Jedi and clones. But this wasn't just any random group of clones he sent.
Delta squad was one of the most elite squads of clones the Republic's army had to offer.
They would find the missing expedition; that was a guarantee.
A few hours after Dooku had come and gone to the cells, droids came and started escorting the prisoners out. But they were careful, keeping the clones and Jedi from acting up by holding a blaster to someone's head. They left the half-Nautolan behind in her cell, who had moved closer to the front to see what was going on, leading Obi-Wan to suspect she might be more curious than she was letting on. She only watched as they were taken away and led up into the arena, but this time they weren't chained to poles in the center.
They, along with Anakin and his clones, were put in a holding cell on one side of the arena, and after a few more hours of waiting, they heard the sounds of the arena filling. Turning to each other, Obi-Wan asked, "Remember what happened the last time we were brought here?"
Anakin nodded, "Many Jedi died, and if it wasn't for the clones and Master Yoda, many more would have that day."
"And now we have no support from the Jedi, and the only clones we have are the ones with us," Obi-Wan said, "We need to be careful, Anakin."
The younger Jedi nodded, looking out the large door that led into the arena. It was ray-shielded to keep them in, but they could still see through it into the arena. It was still daylight out, but the sun was starting to set, and the arena itself was filled with Geonosians. However, Obi-Wan could still see a few beings from other parts of the galaxy and raised an eyebrow at the sight.
What was Dooku planning?
The question was answered soon enough when Dooku's voice was heard over the speaker system, "Citizens of Geonosis, I welcome you to the Petranaki Arena for this evening's entertainment. For those worried about the Republic, fear not! Precautions have been taken to make sure tonight's festivities don't catch their eye," as an illusion shield was activated, making it seem like nothing was happening from the outside. It even muted the sounds of cheering.
Roaring and cheering was heard, and after a few minutes, it died down as Dooku continued, "Tonight's event will be broken into several different contests. The first will feature the Jedi who have invaded your home and their soldiers. Those who survive will have to face some of the fiercest gladiators in the galaxy!"
Again there was quite a bit of cheering, and Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, seeing the same conclusion in Obi-Wan's eyes. Another arena fight, but with the stakes much higher than before if the Republic couldn't pick up what was happening.
"And finally, we will have a special guest join us for one of the fights later this evening," Dooku continued, "If this guest survives, they will have the honor of dueling me, which I am sure will be one of the highlights of this evening!" there was more cheering, which almost drowned out Dooku's following words: "Let the games begin!"
Hearing that, Obi-Wan turned to Anakin and said, "It must be the half-Nautolan. Dooku wants to duel her!"
"He's insane," Anakin said, "It won't be a fair fight for her. She may have proven herself against those soldiers on Sorrus, but she won't stand a chance against a Sith Lord!"
Obi-Wan nodded, turning to the clones, "We don't know what will happen next, but standing orders are to stay alive and do what you can. If this is going to be broken up into several different fights, they likely will have you wait until the later fights. If and when they bring out the half-Nautolan, try and help her. But be careful; I could sense her distrust, and she may try and attack you. No matter what happens, watch each other's backs. Understood?"
Nods and "Yes sirs" were seen and heard all around, and just then, the door was slowly opened, revealing a few dozen battle droids and bugs. The bug that seemed to be in charge looked them all over, then walked forward, confident the Jedi wouldn't try anything with a few dozen blasters aimed at their men. He walked over to Anakin and pushed his blaster into the Jedi's back, forcing him to step forward, which Anakin did grudgingly. The bug did the same thing to Fives and Echo, making all three of them walk into the arena before he stepped back. The ray shield activated again as a cage of bars came down. Once the bars were in place, the ray shield deactivated, giving the clones and Jedi still in the room a better view of what was happening in the arena. While this happened, the crowd roared with excitement and glee, ready for the promised entertainment. The bugs and droids then retreated into another room on the other side of the arena.
A few seconds later, Dooku's voice was heard again, "For our first contest, we have the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and two of his troopers. Let's see how long they last against our first combatant!"
The crowd's roaring drowned out the sound of a door underneath the stands where Dooku and Ventress were standing opening, and Anakin turned back to his Master and said, "I have a bad feeling about this."
"So do I, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, "Be careful."
Anakin nodded and turned back as Fives asked, "Positions, General?"
Anakin looked around furtively before saying, "Well, we have no weapons and no cover, so the plan is don't get eaten."
Fives looked patently dubious, while Echo only looked towards the door opposite them before asking suddenly, "What is that?!"
Anakin turned to look as well before shutting his eyes in disbelief. He opened them as Obi-Wan said behind them, "That's an acklay. It has a mouthful of sharp teeth and is very dangerous," as the creature came towards Skywalker, Fives, and Echo. It had four legs and two sharp pincers, which it raised up as it attacked the Jedi and clones. But at the last second, the craziest of ideas entered Anakin's mind, and he called to Fives and Echo, "Stay against the cage! Obi-Wan, get ready!"
"You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking!" was all Obi-Wan said, but he and his men got ready in any event. Seconds later, Skywalker's plan was put to the test as the acklay charged them. At the last second, Anakin flung up his hand, flinging a sheet of sand at the beast with the Force. The acklay immediately stopped, shrieking in pain as the sand stung its eyes. The crowd roared in approval while Anakin made a leap for its neck. At the same time, Fives and Echo did the same, and seconds later, all three were on the acklay's back. Anakin wrapped his arms and legs around its neck, Fives and Echo wrapping their arms around the Jedi even though they weren't sure what his plan was. Seconds later, Obi-Wan called out, "Grab it!" and the acklay shrieked in frustration and anger as one of its claws became trapped in the cage bars, and the Jedi and clones there grabbed it and held on tight. But the other one was still free, and Anakin was hard-pressed to avoid it.
A few seconds later, the acklay reared back as Anakin forced it off-balance, but it recovered quickly and reached with one pincer for the Jedi and clones dangling from its neck. But Anakin and the clones jumped free, and as Obi-Wan and the others let go of its trapped pincer, it made a fatal mistake. One pincer, the one that had been reaching for Anakin, went straight through its neck instead. The Jedi and two clones quickly got out of its way as it slowly collapsed on the ground, and the crowd roared and screamed in excitement.
"The Jedi wins the first round!" Dooku's voice boomed over the speakers as the droids and bugs came out again to prod the Jedi and clones back into the cage, which they did reluctantly. As they did so, another group of bugs came out to remove the dead acklay, leaving a streak of blood on the ground.
Once back inside the cage, Anakin said, "Good job, you two," nodding at Fives and Echo, who also got slaps on the backs from their brothers. Turning to Obi-Wan, Anakin said, "If that was the first round, what does Dooku have planned for the next?"
"I don't know," Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard, "But whatever it is, it can't be good."
A few clicks away outside the arena, a group of elite clone commandos surveyed the area, looking for anything out of place. After a few seconds, one of them said, "Hey, Boss! Got something here."
Boss, or Thirty-Eight, headed over, looking at what Fixer had found. Seeing what it was, he said, "Looks like the boys ran into trouble they couldn't handle. Let's follow this trail and see what we find."
The commandos with him all nodded and started following the trail of drag marks and droid feet into a nearby tunnel, following the trail for quite a while.
The acklay had been removed from the arena, and this time it was Obi-Wan, Waxer, Boil, Longshot, and Kix being forced into the arena. Once they were in and the guards had retreated, Dooku's voice came again, "And here we have Obi-Wan Kenobi and some of his troopers, but we are also adding our special guest. Apparently, they caused some trouble in the holding cells, making it clear they wanted to join the fight, so here they are!"
Obi-Wan turned to look at Anakin, seeing the same despair on his face as another door in the arena was opened, and the half-Nautolan was forced into the arena, her hands still bound before her. She looked around in confusion before seeing the Jedi and clones, and distrust entered her eyes, causing her to stay just out of reach. Seeing her caused some confusion in the crowd, none of them understanding why she was there or what made her so special, but the confusion went away when Dooku continued, "This half-Nautolan was captured trying to destroy one of our factories. As I'm sure many of you know, she is one of the rarest creatures in the galaxy, and keeping one as a trophy is said to bring good fortune. Let us see if her fortunes change tonight! Release the Kath hounds!"
The door under Dooku's stands again opened, releasing a pack of about twelve hounds. They were heavy, horned creatures and moved pretty quickly for their size. The lead hound let out a challenging roar when it saw the Jedi and clones, lunging forward. Obi-Wan and the clones jumped out of the way, and the half-Nautolan delivered a roundhouse kick to another one that lunged at her and sent it into a wall.
"Kath hounds aren't normally aggressive creatures," Obi-Wan said simply, causing the clones with him to stop what they were doing and stare at him, while Anakin yelled from the cage, "Master, stop focusing on their mindsets and start focusing on surviving!"
"Not to worry, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, holding out both hands as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the Force. The hounds calmed and settled seconds later, following him as he backed away towards the room where the guards and droids were sequestered.
"What's he doing?" Kix asked, and Waxer replied, "Same thing he did on Ryloth."
A few seconds later, the Jedi and the hounds were close to the room, Obi-Wan with his back to it, and it was then that something happened. Obi-Wan lowered his hands and ended his connection with the Force, jumping over the hounds and landing behind them. The lead hound shook his head and charged forward, straight into the ray shield of the room. The hound immediately howled in pain, forcing the others to attack the shield, which quickly weakened and went out, causing the droids and bugs in there to beat a hasty retreat. Once that threat was eliminated, the hounds turned their attention to the Jedi and clones, lunging forward and trying to attack them all at once.
And a few of the hounds headed straight for the half-Nautolan who had settled into a crouch while she watched Obi-Wan. She stayed where she was, just watching the three or four hounds charging towards her, and at the last second, leaped high into the air, landing on the back of one of them with such force she broke its spine. The Kath hound collapsed to the ground with a cry of pain, but the young woman was too quick. Pulling a knife from a hidden sheath in her boot, she plunged it into the hound's head, killing it instantly and saving it a slow death.
Hands still bound, she turned to face the other three hounds circling her but reached out with the Force this time. Not to placate the beasts, though. Instead, she focused on the binders around her wrists. After a few seconds, the metal bent and snapped, weakening to the point where she could yank her wrists apart and free herself. With her hands free, she pulled another knife from her other boot, and on the balcony, Dooku raised an eyebrow and said quietly, "I thought you searched her, Ventress."
"I did, master," his apprentice said, "Those knives must have been hidden too deeply in her boots."
"At least it will make the fight more interesting," was all Dooku said.
Down in the arena, the woman apparently thought the same. Deciding to even the odds, just a bit, she actually tossed one of her knives to Obi-Wan, who caught it in midair before turning to her in surprise. She only looked at him blankly before turning back to her fight. Obi-Wan only shook his head and turned back to the Kath hounds, watching as one of them circled close. Near him, the clones were using what they knew about fighting animals to stay alive, with Anakin using the Force to push them away from the clones as much as he could; the clones imprisoned with him calling out encouragement to their brothers in the arena.
The people and bugs watching the fight only cheered on as the fighting got more intense.
The Delta commandos had finally tracked down the missing Jedi and clones and were coming up with a plan to rescue them from the arena. Boss had quickly come up with one that looked like it would work, leaving Scorch to plan out how many explosives he would need to blast into the arena and rescue their men.
The commando only grinned and got to work, secretly glad to use more explosives than he usually did during missions. They had already destroyed the communication relay station, and now Scorch could really enjoy himself.
This was going to be fun.
"Look out!" Anakin called suddenly, and this time Obi-Wan knew it wasn't for him. He had already dealt with the Kath hounds attempting to attack him and had been turning to see what came next. There were still about eight or nine hounds left, but they were distracted by Anakin and the clones with him and were attacking the cage bars, frustrated they couldn't get at what was supposed to be an easy meal. Anakin's call was for someone else, and it wasn't even a few seconds later that Obi-Wan heard Kix yell, "Arterial bleed!" followed by the most earsplitting shriek of pain and surprise he had ever heard in his life.
Knowing and dreading what those words meant, Obi-Wan turned to Kix, shocked by what he saw a moment later. It wasn't one of the clones injured so severely; it was the half-Nautolan. Somehow a Kath hound had gotten past her defenses and bitten her arm. It wasn't a full-on bite, but it was enough for someone her size to get seriously harmed by it. Blood was spurting in arcs from her right arm, right near her elbow, and was bright green and red. Immediately she dropped her blade and to her knees, slamming her hand onto the wound to try and get the bleeding to stop. She wasn't having much luck, and as he watched, Obi-Wan saw her breathing get heavier as she swayed from side to side, feeling the effects of such severe blood loss. The crowd roared then, incensed by the sight of blood and eager for more.
Kix was already moving, racing towards her with what few supplies he had left, leaving Obi-Wan to order the rest of the clones in the arena, "Cover Kix! Don't let those hounds get close!"
The clones rushed to obey, but Kix ignored them to reach the half-Nautolan, crashing onto his knees beside her. She opened her eyes to slits then and looked at him out of the corner of her eye, assessing him. Remembering what General Kenobi had said about her, he said quietly, "It's alright, I just want to help you. Will you let me?" knowing she may decide not to and perhaps attack him to protect herself.
She only stared at him a few moments longer before nodding minutely. She didn't let go of her arm, and that was fine with Kix, knowing it was the only thing keeping her alive for the moment. Turning his attention to the arm and ignoring the roaring crowd around them, he looked at it carefully. The bleed sight was a few inches above her elbow, and she was already keeping it above her heart. Clearly, she knew something about tending wounds because she was almost eerily calm. Reaching into the small pouch attached to his belt Kix pulled out gauze and bandages. He looked at her then, seeing that she was still watching him, then she looked down at her arm, knowing what came next. Kix quickly put one hand under her arm at the bleed sight; the other held the gauze above her hand and almost simultaneously replaced her hand with his gauze, her pulling her hand out smoothly and quickly. He applied even more gauze and pressure bandages then, working on getting the bleeding under control. After a few minutes, it still was bleeding, but not as much as before, and a few minutes later, the bleeding had stopped even more with the aid of a few more pressure bandages.
Only once he was confident the bleeding wouldn't start again did he look up, right into the eyes of the half-Nautolan. She had stopped watching what his hands were doing and was now watching him. Seeing the intent look in her eyes, he couldn't help but feel there was a bit of a connection there, but it lasted all of two seconds as the last Kath hound was dealt with and the half-Nautolan stood up and moved away quickly, not wanting anyone to get too close. She kept her arm pressed against her stomach and immobile but still had the other hand to do with as she wanted.
And she used it to call both her blades back to her as soon as the last Kath hound was dead, easily pulling the one out of Kenobi's hand.
Obi-Wan could only stare at her in surprise before looking up at Dooku, who said over the speakers, "The Jedi have won this round, but let's see how they do against some of the greatest gladiators in the galaxy!"
The crowd roared again in excitement, eager to see the Jedi fight to the death this time. As far as the crowd was concerned, the last few fights had been warm-ups for the main event, and they were all eager to see if the Jedi could hold their own.
And even more eager to see how the half-Nautolan would fair now that she was down to one arm.
As this was happening, the half-Nautolan was coming up with a plan of her own, trying to even the odds. Granted, Dooku had ordered the cage to be opened so the rest of the clones and Skywalker could join the fight, but they were still unarmed and didn't have their helmets. They couldn't launch an effective defense, and depending on what those gladiators would be armed with, neither would the Jedi.
This meant she needed to even the fight; not an easy thing to do considering how weak she was from blood loss. And she knew what she was thinking wouldn't be easy to accomplish with the entire arena looking forward to her death. With that thought in mind, she slipped over to the side of the arena as the Jedi started coordinating their men, Obi-Wan saying firmly, "Alright men, we have no idea what's coming through those doors next, but guaranteed it won't be good. Which means we need to have some sort of strategy laid out."
"Be careful and don't get killed is probably the best one we have at the moment, Master," Anakin said, and Obi-Wan turned to stare at him for a few moments before turning back to the gathered clones and saying, "Whatever happens, try and stay in pairs, just to even the odds against whoever you're fighting."
Nods were seen all around, and then Obi-Wan was looking up at Dooku. Seeing that the Jedi was apparently ready for whatever came next, the Sith Lord said over the speakers, "And now, let us introduce some of the gladiators for this evening's entertainment!" waiting until the excited roar of the crowd had died down before saying, "First into the arena are the Trandoshan Slayers, five of the best fighters to come out of Trandosha in quite some time!"
The door opened again as five Trandoshans came out onto the arena sands. All were strong and built like tanks, each armed with blasters and blades. One of them even had a mace. Seeing them, Anakin said nervously, "They certainly look capable."
Obi-Wan didn't have a chance to respond since Dooku spoke again, "Also, straight from the gladiatorial arenas of Rattatak, the undefeated champion of more than a hundred fights, Viscus Stabo!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause and celebration as a large Zabrak male walked into the arena. He was large, with brown skin and the traditional horns on his head of the Zabrak species, and despite his size moved with a confident swagger.
He was unarmed, but judging from his bulging muscles, it was clear that he wasn't someone who needed weapons to win a fight. He looked the clones over quickly and the Jedi, but his gaze stopped and lingered on the half-Nautolan. Turning to her, Obi-Wan was surprised to see that she was leaning against the arena wall, eyes half-closed as she rested for a few minutes. She clearly didn't care about what Dooku was saying and just wanted to conserve her strength until the next fight.
Obi-Wan's musings were interrupted by Dooku, "Whoever wins this fight will have the honor of dueling me and my associate, Asajj Ventress. Let the fight begin!"
With that, the Trandoshans charged forward, heading for the Jedi, while Stabo headed straight for the half-Nautolan, who had pushed herself off the wall and was running hard. Despite the wound to her arm and blood loss, she could still move unbelievably fast, and Stabo just couldn't get close. But eventually, she ran out of places to run to and turned and faced him, still keeping her arm close to her stomach. As this was happening, the Jedi and clones were engaging the Trandoshans, but her focus remained on Stabo. He grinned gleefully; this was going to be easy.
His opponent was wounded and weak, no longer fresh from the fight, and only had one arm. This would be the easiest win of his career.
That opinion was short-lived since the half-Nautolan had apparently decided that offense was her best defense at the moment. Actually, it was her only defense at the moment. She charged him, and he spread his legs in a ready stance, fists up and ready. But at the last second, she leaped into the air, twisting into the air to land right in front of him, and delivered a roundhouse kick to his head and another kick to his stomach that knocked him off-balance and back a few steps.
Up in the stands, the crowd fell silent as they watched the fight, surprised at how it was going. Even the Jedi, clones, and Trandoshans had stopped fighting to see what would happen next. None of them had ever seen such an unequal fight and were wondering how it would end.
Seconds later, the half-Nautolan had drawn a knife in her left hand, holding it in a reverse grip and beginning to use it. She lashed out with it, sending Stabo back a few steps to avoid the sharp edge. A sweeping slash caught him in the chest, drawing blood. The crowd started murmuring then, but they silenced as Stabo backhanded her in the face, sending her sprawling, almost.
At the last second, she twisted again, landing on her feet in a crouch after a half somersault, knife drawn but right arm still useless. She stared at him, daring him with her eyes to try that again. He grinned and started walking forward slowly, already enjoying the time leading up to the kill.
"Get out of the way!" Obi-Wan finally called, "You can't take him!" but the half-Nautolan only turned her head to him slowly, warning in her eyes, clearly telling him to be quiet so that she could focus. Her gaze was so intense, and serious, Obi-Wan immediately fell silent, while Anakin said lightly, "I don't think she likes you, Master."
Obi-Wan was given no chance to respond as the young woman turned her head back towards the Zabrak, watching as he came closer and closer. A few seconds later, he had crossed some invisible line she had drawn because she suddenly exploded into action. Launching herself right into his face made him reel in surprise as she plunged her knife into his stomach before pulling it out as she leaped over his shoulder. She landed in a crouch behind him; the audience stunned to silence as Stabo collapsed to his knees, staring at the blood covering his hands.
But he was a strong man and forced himself to his feet again, even though it was clear the knife had done a lot of damage. He turned to face his opponent again, but she was ready for him and kicked his legs out from under him. Stabo collapsed onto his side but pushed himself upright again, only to be met with the deadly eyes of the half-Nautolan. She was standing in front of him, blood dripping from her blade. Before the Jedi could react or stop her, she lashed out, cutting Stabo's neck from ear to ear and sending blood everywhere, including all over her face and arms. The almost feral look in her eyes and the clenched jaw said she was a killer, and her brutality at that moment only emphasized that fact. The blood that now covered her, Stabo's blood, gave her a look that could only be called cold-blooded.
She was a killer, a dangerous killer, which was something the Jedi hadn't been expecting.
Stabo's body collapsed to the ground, surprise etched eternally onto his face, and the crowd was silent. Looking up, Obi-Wan was surprised to see that even Count Dooku was shocked at what he had just witnessed. Turning back to the half-Nautolan, Obi-Wan could only watch as she looked over those gathered in the arena, making it clear what would happen if anyone tried that again.
The Trandoshans, to their credit, decided to stick with the Jedi and clones, letting out snarls and growls as they started fighting again, the Jedi and clones having no choice but to defend themselves as best as they could. A few minutes later, there was a cry of surprise from the crowd, and Obi-Wan again looked over, wondering what it could be this time.
Seconds later, he was shocked to see the half-Nautolan climbing into the stands, fighting anyone that came too close and quickly killing them while also destroying droids. She was climbing higher and higher, heading for Dooku and Ventress, jumping into the box for a few minutes. Seconds later, she was falling back down into the arena. At first, Obi-Wan had thought she had been shot or more injured, but that wasn't the case. She landed in a crouch, closer to him than anyone else, and tossed him something.
He caught it and was surprised to see it was his lightsaber. Looking over at Anakin, he saw that Anakin was just as surprised when the half-Nautolan tossed him his lightsaber as well.
It looked like someone was a bit of a pickpocket.
Turning back to her, he nodded, which she didn't bother to return as she ducked a blow aimed at her from a Trandoshan. He ignited his blade at the exact moment an explosion shook the arena and everyone in it. It was followed by another, louder explosion, and this time rocks and dust flew through the air. After a few seconds, it all cleared, and the Jedi and clones were able to look where it had come from, followed by the Trandoshans and droids.
A giant hole had appeared in the side of the arena, and standing in the gap were four clones, but they weren't regular clones. Obi-Wan took in the tougher armor and more advanced weapons and quickly realized who they were: Delta Squad and some of the best soldiers in the entire army. They surveyed the situation quickly then the leader, Boss, turned to one clone in red-painted armor and said, "Clear any shooters, Sev! Scorch, start finding us a way out of here! On the double!" running into the thick of things seconds later with a clone in green-painted armor right behind him.
The two commandos he had called out immediately fanned out while Boss and Fixer fought their way to Obi-Wan and Anakin. Boss quickly reached them, "Admiral Yularen sent us, sir. You missed your check-in, and Commander Tano convinced him and General Unduli to send us in!"
"Good thing they did!" Anakin said, "But that doesn't mean we have a way out! And our men need weapons. Any kind of weapons at this point!"
"Will these work?" Fixer asked, reaching into his backpack for rifles and pistols and passing them out to the clones surrounding them, who accepted them eagerly, but there wasn't enough for everyone. They began shooting then, not just at the Trandoshans but also at the droids that were getting ready to head into the arena. It slowed them down but didn't stop them, and it was becoming increasingly clear that the Jedi and clones needed a way out.
"That takes care of one problem," Obi-Wan said as he started deflecting lasers with his lightsaber, "but doesn't take care of the fact that we're outnumbered and running out of room."
Boss looked around before saying, "If we can get under some kind of cover, we can blast our way out. Scorch brought enough explosives; we just need to give him a place and chance to use them."
"Maybe back into the tunnels where we were held?" Anakin suggested, "It would give us a chance to find the boy's helmets as well."
"We came from there, sir," Fixer said, "They weren't there, and we found no sign of them anywhere else in that part of the compound."
"Great," Anakin said grimly, but a few seconds later, there was a whistle from nearby. Turning to look, they were all surprised to see the half-Nautolan standing near another hole in the wall that looked like it had just been made. She was staring down it but turned to look at them questioningly a second later. She walked over the rocks and stones blocking the lower part of it and stepped inside, turning back to look at them all before continuing on. She came back a few seconds later, clearly expecting them to follow.
Obi-Wan and Anakin looked at each other before Anakin said, "Do you have a better idea?"
The fact Obi-Wan didn't wasn't lost on anyone there, and so he only called, "Everyone, form up. We're getting out of here!"
The clones quickly followed him as he followed the half-Nautolan, the commandos covering their exit as the Geonosians started shooting at them along with the droids. The Trandoshans also tried, but then Scorch threw a charge at them, and they were all forced to hit the deck as it went off and caused a dust cloud that obscured the view of everyone above. Once the dust cleared, Dooku and Ventress were able to see that the clones and Jedi were gone. Dooku said a few seconds later, "The half-Nautolan is gone as well. I will need to report this to my master and make sure we are not here when the Republic comes to destroy the arena," turning and leaving as Ventress quickly bowed.
Once he was gone, Ventress turned back to look at the mess the Jedi, clones, and half-Nautolan had made. A small smile crept over her face as she looked down and saw that the memory card she had hidden next to Kenobi's lightsaber was gone. The half-Nautolan was the definition of a pickpocket; Dooku hadn't even noticed she had taken anything until she was back down in the arena. Looking it all over, Ventress couldn't help but feel impressed by everything. Last time the Jedi had almost been overwhelmed, but this time with the right help and plans, they had been able to not only survive but escape.
And the half-Nautolan was convincing her more and more every day she had made the right choice. It might not have been the easiest choice, but she knew where her loyalties lay, which was all that mattered.
Not even Dooku could sway her now, especially after everything he had done to her over the years.
Turning away from the arena, Ventress left, knowing it was time to get off the planet before the Republic came and actually destroyed the arena this time. She definitely didn't want to be there when that happened.
A few hours later, the Sith Lord and his apprentice left the planet, easily evading the Republic ships stationed around Geonosis and disappearing back into Separatist space.
After the din of the arena and the explosions caused by Delta Squad, the tunnels the Jedi and clones were in were almost too quiet. It had only been a few minutes, but the fact they weren't being followed was a good thing, although that probably had something to do with the fact that Scorch had used a charge to collapse the tunnel entrance and make it impossible for anyone to follow them.
Obi-Wan finally stopped for a few minutes to let the men catch their breaths, watching as the half-Nautolan up ahead stopped as well and waited for them. She made sure they didn't get too close and kept her distance but had started leaning against the walls as she walked, leading Obi-Wan to suspect the wound in her arm was bleeding again.
"Kix," Obi-Wan said quietly, and the medic came over, "How bad is that wound on her arm?"
"Pretty bad, General," Kix said, "The artery was definitely nicked, if not cut. She needs more than some gauze and pressure bandages, a lot more."
"Hmmm," Obi-Wan said before asking, "Do you think it's bleeding again?"
Kix looked at the half-Nautolan and how she held herself against the wall, "I think so, but I don't have any supplies to treat her. And I don't know if she'll let me get close."
"She let you before," Anakin added quietly, watching the young woman down the tunnel. Kix nodded, "Yes, sir, she did, but I think it was because she knew she didn't have a choice. I don't think she'll let me come that close again."
Boss, who had been listening, came up then and said, "If you're willing to try, we have some supplies. Seeing how it seems she has become our guide for the time being, we should help her if she'll let us."
The others nodded, but before they could try, Anakin asked, "Hey, where'd she go?"
Turning, they were all surprised to see the half-Nautolan had moved on, but a few seconds later came back and looked at them before walking away again. She looked over her shoulder as she walked, and Obi-Wan sighed, "Come on, men, let's see where we're being led to next."
The clones nodded and followed the Jedi, the commandos taking the rear to cover their flank. The Jedi at the front had no idea where she was leading them, but after a few minutes, the tunnel opened up into a small cavern with another tunnel leading out of it on the other side. The cavern had a few tables in it, and on one of those tables were the clones' helmets. Seeing them, the clones immediately rushed in and started putting them on. The other table had their weapons and Kix's medical backpack, and they quickly rearmed. Once that was done, they left the room, again following the half-Nautolan as she disappeared down the other tunnel. Finally, after about twenty minutes, she stopped, clearly unable to go on, and Kix edged up next to Obi-Wan and said, "I'm going to see what she lets me do, General."
"Alright," Obi-Wan agreed, "We'll hang back and watch for anything out of the ordinary. Let us know if you need help."
Kix nodded and started walking forward but suddenly stopped and turned back to hand his blaster over to Jesse, who was clearly confused as he looked between the blaster and Kix. Kix only said, "This will go easier if she knows I can't hurt her. The only chance I stand against her is if I'm armed," clearly remembering her skill with a blade.
"Not very comforting," was all Jesse said. Kix only inclined his head and started walking over to where the half-Nautolan had fallen to her knees, clearly unable to go on. As the Jedi and clones watched, Kix crouched down next to her, waiting for her to acknowledge he was there. She must have, since a few seconds later, he was slipping his backpack off and opening it, reaching inside for some more gauze and bandages. Her hand was again on the wound in her arm, trying to keep the blood in where it belonged, but judging from her ashen features and the cold sweat on her face, she wasn't having much luck. Kix only applied more gauze and pressure bandages before attempting to take her pulse at her neck, but that was a terrible idea.
The second she felt his fingers touch her neck, she lashed out….with her teeth. Kix was faster and able to pull back in time, but the message was clear: Stay away from my head. The feral look was back in her eyes, but underneath that was a fair amount of fear.
"Steady, Anakin," Obi-Wan said as the younger Jedi started to head over to reinforce Kix, "She doesn't like her head being touched, clearly, and that strike was off by a large margin. There is some trauma there that makes her warier than most. She was just warning him not to try that again," a few seconds later, he said, "I don't think she can speak Basic. Understand it? Maybe. Speak it? I'm starting to doubt it."
"That complicates things," Rex said, "Now we don't know if she is leading us into a trap. She could be working with the Separatists for all we know."
"Judging by what she did to the droids and bugs back there, I don't think so," Obi-Wan said as they watched Kix, "But we should still be careful all the same, especially now that we are underground," turning to Cody he asked, "Are you able to get through to General Mundi or anyone else?"
Cody didn't even bother to try, "No, sir, we're too deep underground. There's no signal."
"Then it seems our only option is forwards," Obi-Wan said as Kix finally finished what he was doing and backed away from the half-Nautolan at the same time she pushed herself to her feet and moved away, even though she looked at him for a few moments, and the Jedi were surprised at what they saw. The hostility was gone, and while she still looked wary, a flicker of trust in her eyes was gone as quickly as it came. She turned and moved on after that, stopping a few paces ahead as she waited for the Jedi and clones to figure out their next move, her wounded arm still held against her stomach.
Kix reaching them caught Obi-Wan's attention, and he asked, "How is she?"
Kix shrugged, "I did the best I could, General, but I had to put a tourniquet on. Her arm only has a few hours before it becomes completely useless, maybe. I don't know a thing about her physiology, so it might last longer. She needs an actual doctor to repair the damage. A few transfusions probably wouldn't hurt either."
Anakin smirked at that, "Anyone know where to get half-Nautolan blood? I doubt the Republic blood bank stocks that."
"That's a problem for another time," Obi-Wan said, "If we don't get out of here, her bleeding to death will be the least of our problems."
"So where do we go?" Rex asked, "These tunnels are all over Geonosis. We could be stuck down here for days, maybe even weeks."
"I think our friend still wants us to follow her," Anakin said, and they all turned to see the half-Nautolan was still waiting for them. Seeing they were all staring at her, she started walking down a different tunnel than the one they were currently in, looking back before walking back towards them, clearly expecting them to follow. Turning to Obi-Wan, Anakin said, "It's not like we have a better idea right now. Who knows? Maybe she does know the way out of here."
Obi-Wan considered the options for a few moments before saying, "Alright, but stay sharp. We don't know what's waiting for us in these tunnels."
Everyone nodded and continued walking, following the half-Nautolan through the semi-dark tunnels into whatever happened next, unaware of the danger they were again walking into.