A/N: Battle of Geonosis part two. I realised, whilst typing this chapter, that this is the first time that Obi-Wan meets C-3P0. It seems strange considering how long he's been around in the movies.
Chapter Thirty-Three – Begun the Clone War Has.
As the ships carried the rescued fighters away from the execution arena, Sabé looked over at her three companions, thanking the Gods that none of them had serious injuries. The gashes across Padmé's back would be easily healed once they had bacta and proper care, and were for now nothing more than a painful inconvenience.
Looking across to the other ships, the Jedi, with their enhanced vision, spotted Yoda aboard the leader transport, urgently talking to Mace Windu. Voicing this observation to the others, they realised that they hadn't seen the wise Jedi Master during the ground battle, concluding that it must have been he who had collected the clone troops from Kamino.
The small fleet flew around a corner to a large dusty red plain that was apparently serving as a dock for the majority of the Separatist leaders' ships. Rapid laser fire from nearby control towers forced the pilots into conducting vehement evasive manoeuvres. The passengers inside, already unsteady on their feet, stumbled around for handholds as Obi-Wan shouted, "Hold on!"
Taking a firm grip on a handle above her head, Sabé peered out of the ship's open sides, squinting against the glare of bright sun on sand. The gunner began returning fire on the control towers and Anakin said, "Aim right above the fuel cells."
Nodding, the gunner propelled two rockets, which shot forward to hit right on target at the point that Anakin had suggested. The control towers crumpled, falling swiftly to the ground, coincidently managing to crush several battle droids.
"Good call, my young Padawan," Obi-Wan praised with a smile.
The majority of the troop ships nearby broke away to land on the plains. The four survivors in one of the few airborne vehicles saw the Jedi passengers come running out to address the gathered troopers on the ground. A fierce battle began on the sandy wasteland between clones and battle droids, the Jedi taking on natural leadership roles in commanding the troops. Sabé, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padmé had a good view of the fighting from their ship's lofty position and could easily lend assistance where it was needed.
Spotting the ships he and Sabé had noticed when coming in to land several hours before, Obi-Wan ordered, "Attack those Federation starships, quickly!"
Firepower promptly focused on the large spherical vehicles, but their rockets alone did not have enough strength to bring down any of them. Fortunately Yoda's squad in the Forward Command Centre did. One of the ships halted in its steady ascent and slowly began falling back down to the ground. The dust cloud its collision produced spread over everything, limiting visibility in the troop ship. Despite this setback, however, Obi-Wan's keen eyes spotted a tiny figure on a speederbike, hastily heading away from the battle on the ground.
"Look over there!"
"It's Dooku!" Anakin exclaimed. "Shoot him down!"
"We're out of rockets, sir," the gunner told him.
"Follow him," the Padawan ordered.
"We're going to need some help," Padmé spoke up.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "There isn't time. Anakin and I can handle this."
Dooku was a cunning man and not one to simply sit around once he realised he was being pursued. Sabé noticed the two ships that had been flanking his speeder veer sharply off to the side, but before she could voice this concerning observation they reappeared behind the troop ship, laser cannons firing rapidly. The ship rocked violently in the sudden turbulence and Padmé, along with one of the troopers, fell out of the open side with a cry.
"Padmé!" Anakin screamed. "Put the ship down!"
Sabé, who would have gone the same way if one of the troopers had not grabbed her ankle, got awkwardly to her feet and nodded her thanks to the clone.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan was saying firmly, "don't let your personal feelings get in the way." He turned to the pilot. "Follow that speeder."
"Lower the ship!"
"I can't take Dooku alone," Obi-Wan admitted. "I need you. If we catch him we could end this war right now. We have a job to do."
"I don't care, put the ship down!"
"You will be expelled from the Jedi Order!"
Anakin looked devastated. "I can't leave her."
"Come to your senses!" Obi-Wan yelled. "What do you think Padmé would do were she in your position?"
The Padawan looked down at his feet. "She would do her duty," he said dejectedly.
Obi-Wan nodded and looked over Anakin's shoulder at Sabé. She nodded, relaying the fact that she was unharmed. She knew that if it had been her tumbling out if the ship she would not expect him to stop for her. He would trust her to survive on her own, like she trusted Padmé.
Obi-Wan approached her, a grave expression on his face. "Be ready to leave the ship," he said quietly. "I sense its fate may not be pleasant."
She nodded. The ship approached the landing platform outside the Geonosian main hangar and the two Jedi and Sabé hopped out and ran into the shadow of the open hatchway. Behind them the ship exploded, shot by the Count's escorts.
It was clear to any observer that Obi-Wan was not pleased by Sabé's presence there. He had ideally wanted her to remain on the ship, but something had told him to get her off it.
"I want you to stay back, Sabé," he told her firmly as they ran. "Dooku is highly dangerous and I can't predict his movements."
"I'll try."
They found the ex-Jedi preparing to board a small ship in the hangar. He turned to look at them all with a steady gaze as they entered, his calm, cold reserve unnerving the woman from Naboo.
Anakin stepped forward, glaring. "You're going to pay for all the Jedi that you've killed today Dooku."
"We'll take him together," Obi-Wan said. "You go in slowly on the left."
"I'm taking him now!" The Padawan charged, lightsabre in hand, towards the motionless Count.
"No, Anakin, no! No!" Obi-Wan cried.
Sabé gasped as blue lightning shot from Dooku's fingertips and caught the young Jedi, slamming him against a wall before deftly dropping him. Anakin lay stunned, his lightsabre clutched uselessly in his hand.
"As you see, my Jedi powers are far beyond yours," Dooku boasted. "Now back down."
He sent the lightning towards Obi-Wan, but the Jedi Knight easily blocked it with his lightsabre. "I don't think so."
The Count frowned and sent a bolt to Sabé. It caught her in the side and she collapsed with a shriek. He used the Force to throw her to the floor behind Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan let his anger go, as he had when Qui-Gon had died, and engaged Dooku in a battle of quick lightsabre strokes.
"Master Kenobi, you disappoint me," Dooku said, taunting. He had hoped that attacking Sabé might draw out the Jedi Knight's aggression, but all it seemed to do was make him more indomitable. "Yoda holds you in such high esteem. Surely you can do better."
Obi-Wan did not allow himself to be provoked and instead brought his blade up against the Count's. Dooku, however, had the Dark Side of the Force on his side. With swift slashing motions he stabbed at Obi-Wan's arm and thigh. The Jedi cried out in pain as Dooku's Force push sent him back towards Sabé.
Dooku looked down at them sternly, preparing to make the killing blow. In a blur of motion, Anakin leapt forward, blocking Dooku's blade before it could strike his Master.
"Brave of you boy, but I would have thought you had learned your lesson."
"I am a slow learner," Anakin said smoothly.
Using the Force, Obi-Wan called his discarded lightsabre to him and threw it to his Padawan. "Anakin!"
Now armed with two weapons, Anakin battled fiercely with Dooku. One of the sabres was quickly sliced in half and rendered useless, but the young Jedi fought just as well with one. He severed a large pipe that lay across the floor and the hangar's lighting grew dim.
Obi-Wan lifted his head to look at the unconscious woman beside him. While the lightning had been promptly shaken off by Anakin, Sabé, being unable to use the Force to counter it, was affected more severely. She was burnt where it had struck her and bruised from her fall to the ground. With effort, Obi-Wan moved to place a hand on her forehead, momentarily ignoring his own searing pain. He let the Force flow through him and presently her eyes fluttered open. She moaned.
"Don't try to move," Obi-Wan said through gritted teeth.
"Obi-Wan–"
"Shh, it'll be all right."
They lay forehead-to-forehead and watched Anakin and Dooku fighting. The Padawan, despite the advantage of youth, was quickly overcome and in one fluid stroke Dooku sliced off his right arm. He yelled in pain and was thrown back to land at his Master's booted feet. Sabé's jaw dropped in horror and Obi-Wan visibly cringed.
Dooku stood for a moment, staring at his three victims, wondering what would be the most effective way to eliminate them, when there came a steady tap-tapping noise. Yoda came into view, walking slowly with the aid of his gimer stick.
"Master Yoda," Dooku greeted.
"Count Dooku," came the growling reply.
"You have interfered with our affairs for the last time," the Count said darkly. He used the Force to throw various objects at the diminutive Jedi in hope of catching him unawares. Yet Yoda managed to block them without seeming to make an effort. Feeling irritation at his inability to crush his foe, Dooku sent a bolt of Force-lightning towards him. Yoda deflected it back to him. The Count sent it up to the ceiling where it bounced harmlessly off the stonework.
"Powerful you have become, Dooku," Yoda said. "The Dark Side I sense in you."
"I have become more powerful than any Jedi. Even you." He threw another, stronger bolt of lightning and Sabé thought that the ancient Jedi Master would surely be hit. But this, Yoda simply caught in his hand, reducing it to nothing.
"Much to learn you still have."
Realising that he would certainly lose if the battle persisted this way, Dooku said coolly, "It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force, but by our skills with a lightsabre." He ignited the ruby-red weapon once again.
Yoda calmly did the same. Then all manner of calm disappeared as the Jedi Master executed a complicated series of leaps and twists, battling Dooku at a faster pace than Sabé could keep up with.
It did not take the Count long to comprehend the fact that he could not win this duel. He used the Force to wrench free a huge pipe and sent it crashing down on Obi-Wan, Anakin and Sabé. The wounded Jedi tried to counter it, but they were weakened by their injuries. Yoda, however, stopped fighting and pushed it aside. It crashed down harmlessly on the floor a little way away, causing the tiles to crack.
Meanwhile, Dooku had boarded the ship and was now preparing to exit the hangar at a speedy pace. Yoda called his gimer stick to him and leaned on it pensively. Obi-Wan got carefully to his feet, taking caution not to put too much weight on his burnt leg, and helped Sabé up. Padmé ran in then with several troops just in time to help support Anakin with a hug. Sabé registered this with interest, realising that their situations may not be all that different after all. She felt much weakened by the Force-lightning, but knew she could not allow herself to put too much pressure on Obi-Wan's wounded leg. The clone troopers came to their rescue by helping them out and into another transport.
"I need bacta," Sabé muttered with a grimace.
Obi-Wan smiled briefly. "With a tone of voice like that I hope you get it quickly."
When they reached the Forward Command Centre, the sleek Nubian craft that Padmé and Anakin had used to reach Geonosis stood waiting with the other ships. A confused look passed over the Senator's face as she wondered just how it had got there when they had left it hidden near the droid foundries. The answer came in the form of R2-D2 and R4-P17, as well as C-3P0, a protocol droid that Anakin had made when he was nine and been reunited with while on Tatooine. The three droids had rescued themselves from the foundries and flown Padmé's ship to the Forward Command Centre. The two Jedi and the women made their way up the ramp, knowing that the Nubian ship had better medical facilities than the troop transports. They let the clones take control of the cockpit and, just for a short while, thought only of each other.
Back on Coruscant, Sabé and Padmé were efficiently treated for their injuries and then hurried out of the Jedi Temple by Depa Billaba. Obi-Wan and Anakin came to them once they too had been healed. Anakin had been fitted with a robotic arm in place of the one he had lost and his movements were slow and irregular while he got used to it. He and Padmé set off once again for Naboo, as Coruscant was still unsafe. Typho had left a message informing them that he had already taken Dormé back to Theed on the date that Senator Amidala had been scheduled to return.
Padmé hugged Sabé before she left, saying, "Are you sure you won't come? It'll be safer."
"No. You need someone to put affairs in order before we come home. I don't mind doing that for you. I know you would prefer I do it than let Jar Jar loose in your office."
Padmé smirked, looking somewhat sheepish. "Fine. But be careful."
"I'll be all right. Master Kenobi will keep an eye on me."
"Two actually," Obi-Wan put in from his position by the door.
Padmé nodded with a smile. "I'll see you in a few days then."
That evening, Obi-Wan stood with Mace Windu by one of the windows of the Jedi Council chamber, discussing the events of Geonosis. Sabé sat nearby, an honorary guest under reasoning of being Senator Amidala's representative. Or so the records said anyway.
"Do you believe what Count Dooku said about Sidious controlling the Senate?" Obi-Wan was saying quietly. "It doesn't feel right."
"Joined the Dark Side Dooku has," Yoda spoke up from his chair. "Lies, deceit, creating mistrust are his ways now."
"Nevertheless, I feel we should keep a closer eye on the Senate," Mace Windu 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."
Sabé glanced at her chrono. Outside the sun was setting over Coruscant. Mid-afternoon on Naboo.
"I have to admit," Obi-Wan said, "that without the clones it would not have been a victory."
"Victory? Victory you say?" Yoda queried. "Master Obi-Wan, not victory. The shroud of the Dark Side has fallen. Begun the Clone War has."
That sobered everyone into a long silence until Mace Windu excused himself and left to oversee the younglings' meditation session. The remaining three glanced up at each other. They were not just there to discuss Geonosis and Sabé was not just there to represent Padmé. No, they were there for another purpose altogether. One that would bring some light into the oncoming time of darkness.