The Battle of Geonosis
"You see," explained Mace Windu, who was riding with the Cats in the Feliner on the way to Geonosis, "Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, a great Jedi Master who was also something of a maverick, discovered the boy Anakin Skywalker on the desert planet of Tatooine, which isn't very far from Geonosis. He saw great Force potential in the boy, but more to the point, it was Qui-Gon's firm belief that Anakin is the Chosen One of Jedi legend, destined to bring an end to the rule of the Sith Lords and the dark side of the Force and restore balance to the light side."
Lion-O rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That sounds like something Anet would find very fascinating. I wish he was here to hear it."
"There will be other chances, Lion-O," Ki-Adi-Mundi assured him.
"What is it that makes Anakin this Chosen One, Master Windu?" asked Cheetara.
"It was said that the Chosen One would be stronger and more powerful in the Force than any Jedi or Sith to date," said Mace. "And Qui-Gon realized Anakin was just such a person when his Padawan, or apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, told him that Anakin's bloodstream carries over twenty thousand midi-chlorians within it, more than even Master Yoda or myself, and Yoda and I are often considered the fiercest, most implacable foes of the darkness in the Jedi Order, according to other Jedi."
"What's a midi-chlorian?" blurted out Tygra from the pilot seat.
"Midi-chlorians are microscopic life forms that live inside each living creature's blood cells," said Mace, "They are what connect us to the Force. And the Force is basically an energy field created by all living things. Life creates it and makes it grow, and according to Jedi belief, the Force in turn, creates and sustains life, and when deemed to have reached its end, takes life away. It surrounds and penetrates all of us, and binds the galaxy together, if not the entire universe. If you wish to know more details about the Force, perhaps Master Yoda could explain it better than even I could. And he probably is doing so right now to your Elephant and Kitten friends, I imagine."
"Sounds amazing to me," said Seaji, "I never dreamed there were three mighty powers controlling the affairs of the universe, the Omens, the power of Plun-Darr, and the Force."
"Arguably, that could be four powers if you include the Force's dark side," said Ki-Adi. "You see, there's a light, or good, side of the Force, which the true Jedi serve in order to serve the people of the galaxy, and there's a dark, or evil, side, which the corrupt Dark Jedi and the purely evil Sith use in order to attempt to conquer and/or rule the galaxy mercilessly."
Dobo wolf-whistled. "That's a lot to take in," he remarked. "It's a little deep a subject for the likes of my kind to concentrate on, but as long as I'm on the right side, I don't really care."
"And being a tech wiz myself, I think the Birds wouldn't think very hard about it, either," said Jorma. "The Birds' culture is based on science, education, and technology."
"Oh, but even people who don't directly meditate on the Force should care about it," said Ki-Adi, "There are too many people in the galaxy already who pragmatically disregard the power, or even the existence, of the Force."
"Well, my answer to that would be that not everyone in the universe can be as spiritual as the Elephants, or the Jedi," argued Dobo, "Dogs live for battle and comradeship, and Jorma said that Birds live for tech and knowledge."
"Fair enough," said Mace.
"Whatever happened to Qui-Gon, Master Windu?" asked Lion-O, trying to get back to the subject at hand.
Mace looked down, and his face darkened in its expression. "A mysterious Sith warrior viciously slew him on the planet Naboo, the home world of both Senator Amidala and Chancellor Palpatine, although Obi-Wan managed to slay the Sith shortly afterwards by himself. Qui-Gon died peacefully, however, and he urged Obi-Wan to promise that he would train Anakin in the ways of the Force in his place, and Obi-Wan gave him his word. And for the past ten years, Obi-Wan has done well in training young Skywalker, although the boy sometimes seems a little temperamental and moody for unknown reasons, as if something's always troubling him. Nonetheless, Anakin has incredible skills, even if they have made him a little arrogant."
Lion-O, after hearing this, wondered if that disturbed young man he saw in his vision in the Eye of Thundera could possibly be the Anakin Skywalker the Jedi spoke of. If he could form a friendship, or at least an alliance, with Obi-Wan and Anakin, he really wanted to know what troubled Anakin so.
"How about this Count Dooku you also spoke of?" asked Cheetara. "Who is he supposed to be?"
Mace looked sad. "Count Dooku was once Jedi Master Dooku, a very gifted Jedi in his own right. He was a very honorable man, very good and very principled, though he was a maverick at times, just like Qui-Gon, who incidentally was his own Padawan. He and Qui-Gon were always firmly of the opinion that it is vital for a Jedi to always concentrate on the here and now, and not worry about the past or future at the expense of the moment, something which, to their disappointment, not all Jedi practice, including, I confess, myself."
"Sounds like pretty good advice to me," said Lion-O, "It's important to concentrate on the moment, especially when you have to focus on a single task at a time."
"And how and why did Dooku switch to the side of these Separatists?" pressed Cheetara.
Mace was stone-faced for a moment. "He didn't like the direction the Republic or the Jedi Order are apparently going in," he said at last. "He broadcast a galactic message lambasting the Jedi and the Republic as being corrupt and complacent, and officially left the Jedi Order, embracing his family fortune on Serenno and his hereditary title as Count. Then he started to form a Separatist Alliance full of like-minded people from all over the star systems who either burned to destroy the Republic and replace it, or to simply go their own way. The official name for this movement/government is the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and it's fighting its battles with a massive droid army."
"And now the Lizards, the Monkeys, and the Jackals are also fighting for it," said Lion-O.
"Apparently, yes," said Mace.
"I should warn you, Master Windu," said Panthro, "The Lizard army and their allies are very dangerous. They have plenty of destructive and murderous technology to fight their battles with, including huge, hulking war machines called Warbots. And they're being commanded by four ruthless Animal generals, two of whom are particularly savage and brutal, Slithe the Lizard, Addicus the Monkey, Kaynar the Jackal, and Vultaire the Vulture, former boss of Horus and prefect of the peaceful Avista City."
"Was that primate that attacked Obi-Wan in the hologram this Addicus of whom you speak?" asked Ki-Adi.
"Yes, he was," said Panthro.
"I can see we might have quite a fight ahead of us," said Mace. "Thank you for the warning."
"And just in time, too," said Tygra. "Is that red, ringed planet Geonosis?"
"Yes, it surely is," said Mace. "I'll help you land this ship at a secure location by which we can hopefully take Dooku by surprise."
"Sure thing," said Tygra. "Just point me in the right direction."
In a few minutes after landing, Mace was sneaking through a corridor with Lion-O and Cheetara toward the balcony where Dooku, the bounty hunter Jango Fett, his son Boba, Poggle the Lesser, and two upset-looking Neimoidians, Gunray and Rune Haako, were watching the skirmish in the arena below between Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padmé Amidala vs. the two surviving arena beasts and several droidekas. Lion-O could see several Monkeys scampering into the arena too, helping the destroyer droids guard the prisoners. It was time to put an end to this.
Silently standing behind Dooku, Mace ignited his violet lightsaber near Jango's throat, startling Boba. Cheetara extended her staff and put one end under Gunray's chin. The Neimoidian cried out and cringed. So did Haako. As Lion-O readied the Sword of Omens, Count Dooku turned around, almost two slowly and casually, as if he had been expecting them.
"Master Windu," he said with an insincere smile, "How pleasant for you and your new friends to come and join us."
Mace didn't smile. "This party's over," he said sternly.
Then, to the surprise and fear of the Geonosian bugs sitting in the stands, Jedi Knights, Padawans, and Masters started showing up everywhere throught the Petranaki arena, igniting their lightsabers. Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, and Aayla Secura showed up in one spot. Luminara Unduli and Shaak Ti appeared in another, then Pablo-Jill and Kit Fisto, then Bultar Swan and Coleman Trebor, then Barriss Offee and Agen Kolar, then Eeth Koth and Sora Bulq, and then many more. Lion-O estimated the Jedi numbers at 212 strong. With then appeared the other ThunderCats and all the Animal allies the Cats had made thus far on their journeys. Fishmen armed their harpoon guns. Elephants stomped their giant feet on the ground, shaking up the bleachers. Berbils stood at the ready. Dogs prepared their swords, axes, spears, and other old-fashioned weapons. Ravenmen activated their shock spears, while other Birds wielded high tech weapons of their own that they normally used for self-defense on Avista. Seaji, Ababa, Anet's wife, Dobo, Ro-Bear Bill, and Horus were all ready to fight, too.
"Quite valiant of you, my friends," said Dooku, "But nevertheless in vain. You're hopelessly outnumbered."
Mace said coldly, "I don't think so."
"Neither do I," said Lion-O.
Dooku smiled again. "We'll see."
"Where's Mumm-Ra?" Lion-O demanded. But before Dooku would've given any response, they heard metallic footsteps coming back from whence they came. Large, hulking battle droids with wrist blasters were plodding towards them, firing all the way.
"What are those, Mace?" asked Cheetara as she used her staff to deflect blaster bolts.
"B2 super battle droids," said Mace loudly as he used his lightsaber to deflect blaster bolts himself.
Lion-O did the same with the Sword of Omens. "ThunderCats, HO!" he shouted the ThunderCat battle cry, and magic fire shot out of the War Stone, melting down most of the super battle droids in the corridor.
But then Jango, who had just put his Mandalorian helmet on, fired his own wrist-mounted flamethrower at Lion-O and Mace. Both ThunderCat and Jedi leapt down from the balcony, the Jedi's athletic skills amazing Lion-O as Mace shrugged out of his burning Jedi robe. A second later, Cheetara joined them before Jango could fire at her.
And with that, the battle was underway.
Out of more openings ran numerous more Monkeys, Lizards, and Jackals, firing their blaster guns all the way. A Jedi ran next to the beast known as the Reek, which Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé were riding, and offered each of the Jedi a lightsaber to replace those that had been taken from them. With them the Jedi cut their cuffs off. Lion-O ran over to join them.
"Looks like this is going to be a tough battle, doesn't it?" he greeted them.
The three former prisoners looked at him in surprise. "Who are you?" Anakin and Obi-Wan wanted to know.
"Yes," said Padmé, "You're the second group of smart-looking animals we've seen today that we've never seen before."
"There's no time for explanations right now," replied Lion-O. "If we make it through this battle, I'll explain later."
Padmé nodded reluctantly.
"He's right," said Obi-Wan, "What matters now is that we focus on this battle."
"You're right, Master," said Anakin. "Don't worry. My Jedi intuition tells me which animals are our allies and which ones are our enemies."
"Very good, Anakin," said Obi-Wan, "So does mine."
More droids, Lizards, etc. marched out to battle. Soon enough, out came Slithe, leader of the Lizards, bringing with him a host of droids as well as his own kind to fight. He crossed blades with Lion-O, hoping to take out the Cat Lord right away, but Lion-O shoved him away from him. Jedi and Animals cut down enemy Animals and droids everywhere, but evidently, even the bad shooting skills of the lame B1 battle droids was enough to take down several of the less skilled Jedi.
Kaynar came running out with some more droids and Jackals. Curiously, one marching droid, or rather, stumbling and shuffling droid, seemed to have the head of a B1 and the body of a protocol droid. The droid itself also seemed confused. It said to itself, "My legs aren't moving. I must need maintenance."
Kaynar leered at the droid. Tygra believed that the scoundrel Jackal was imagining the possibilities of what he could do to such a pathetic droid. It didn't lighten his present mood. He faced Kaynar in battle.
"Ooh," said Kaynar, "Looks like it's time to play around with my old friend, the meaty Tiger, once again!" He licked his lips in anticipation.
Tygra gave a defiant grin of his own. "You won't get me that easily this time, Jackal slob," he said threateningly.
"Oh, boy," Kaynar said, swinging his axe at the Tiger Cat, "This is gonna be the most fun I've had since coming here!"
Meanwhile, Lion-O got in a tussle with Slithe, which was made extra difficult by the beastly reptilian Acklay that was still screaming and wandering the arena.
"How can that thing survive all these lasers and blades flying every which way?" he wondered aloud.
"Must have the same talent I do, Cat," hissed Slithe, "It's good at self-preservation."
"Exactly what makes you a coward, Slithe!" proclaimed Lion-O.
"Don't play righteous with me now, Lion-O!" yelled Slithe. "This is a battle, not some stinking conference!"
"Playing righteous is what a good Lord of the ThunderCats has to do, reptile," said Lion-O defiantly.
Obi-Wan Kenobi came over, presumably to help. "Do you need a hand with this slimy creature, friend?" he asked.
"I could sure use it right now," said Lion-O gratefully.
"No problem," Slithe hissed. "I'll just blast you all the way to Third Earth!" He fired the blaster attachment on his axe at the Jedi.
But just like Mace before him, Obi-Wan deflected every bolt with ease. Then at the right moment, he dived in and cut Slithe's weapon in two.
The Lizard stared in disbelief. He didn't know a pure plasma blade could do that. He shouted at several nearby Lizards, "Khamai! Sauro! Kask! Attack these things!"
The Lizard trio soon were fighting Obi-Wan and Lion-O to the best of their ability.
Out of another gate marched Addicus with a bunch of Monkeys, B2s and B1s. Probably to his irritation, one battle droid, with a protocol droid's head and a high-pitched but nonetheless masculine voice, was exclaiming, "What's this?! A BATTLE? My goodness! There must be some mistake! I'm programmed for etiquette, not destruction!"
Addicus growled and set upon some of the smaller Birds at the battle while his troops proceeded to fight. A Crane was assaulted from behind by him, and he broke the poor Bird's long neck. Then, he bent over to start eating it. But then, three Ravens, along with Jedi Agen Kolar and Bultar Swan, attacked him to stop him from dishonoring the bones of the dead Crane. The Ravenmen stabbed him with their spears, while Bultar, an acrobatic fighter, leapt into the air and hammered Addicus with quick kicks. Kolar then held his blade at the ready and gave the Monkey barbarian a deadly look.
Addicus snarled. "Fine. I'll go find someone else to eat."
Kolar was not impressed, and tried to strike down Addicus, but the Monkey used his opposable feet to grab Kolar's ankle and throw him into Bultar and the Ravens all at once. Then he ran off to another part of the battlefield before they recovered.
Cheetara stopped him. "Going someplace, simian?" she mocked.
"Yes," he replied, "Somewhere where you don't belong."
Cheetara glared at him. "You're not eating anybody in this arena, barbarian."
Addicus laughed. "I beat you once, cleric," he sneered, "I can do it again."
Cheetara smiled. "We'll see." She ran at Cheetah speed behind Addicus and hit him in the back of his head with her stick. Addicus snarled again, this time in pain.
"Discipline doesn't always win the way, she-Cat," he said.
Out of one last gate came Vultaire, the last of Mumm-Ra's generals, and behind him came a surprising host of Animals. They were more Birds! But these were not of Avista. They were dressed differently, like maybe the Birds of the Bird Nation. The good Birds of Avista stopped and stared.
Vultaire looked as arrogant as ever. "Yes," he said, in answer to their questioning looks, "I managed to recruit some Birds from the other nation of the Birdmen species to join Mumm-Ra's cause. Quaint, is it not, that I chose the less technically advanced faction of Birds to join the CIS? Well, let's just hope you Birds of Avista can tell friend from foe from now on."
Horus fired an electric jolt from a shock spear at Vultaire, evidently teed off at his former boss for betraying Avista. Many Ravenmen crowded near Vultaire, too, though many of the other Avistans looked uncertain about fighting their own kind.
"Those Birds are the enemy for now. Attack them. They must not defeat us or the Cats or the Jedi!"
The Cats were startled. It was Horus who had spoken. They thought he only ever cooed to communicate. Panthro looked at a Raven with a questioning look.
"No, I didn't say Horus never talks," he replied, "Horus will speak when it's truly necessary, though his sentences are usually short and to the point."
"Oh," said Panthro.
Vultaire got up, shaking off the pain of the attack. "Well? Attack, you fools!" he said to the Bird Nation Birds. They did.
The battle continued to rage as Panthro decided to engage Vultaire in combat. The Fishmen shot many Lizards through the heart, as well as many droids through their CPUs, which were in their torsos instead of their heads, curiously. The Elephants stomped their feet, shaking up many battle droid formations, and sometimes squashed some of the B1s. The Birds on both sides fought with a sense of uncertainty, yet commitment. Ro-Bear Bill and his fellow Berbils transformed into robotic "bowling" balls and rolled around the arena, knocking down more droids and enemy Animals. Dobo and his Dogs ferociously hacked and smashed droids as the Jedi continued to cut down the mechanical soldiers and Lizards.
Padmé had gotten her hands on a battle droid's blaster and was in the battle too, shooting foes with amazing accuracy. Nothing could stand before Anakin Skywalker as he passionately fought along with the other Jedi.
The Neimoidians had been cringing the entire time, sometimes almost getting hit by a stray blaster bolt. A Jedi Master named Coleman Trebor leapt up onto Dooku's balcony and tried to engage him in battle, but Jango surprised him with his twin blasters and shot him to death, sending him falling over backwards down to the arena below. Dooku smiled almost admiringly as Jango spun one of his pistols on his finger before holstering it again.
Nothing could stand before Mace Windu either, from the looks of things, as he chopped up everything that came his way. Jango saw this guy as a real challenge, and activated his jetpack, flying down to the ground below. He fired his blasters at Windu, which the Jedi blocked easily again. Soon, however, he got close enough to possibly land a shot too close for the Jedi to block in time.
But then, Panthro, who had just subdued Vultaire for the time being, saw the danger Mace was in, and swung his nun-chucks at the bounty hunter. Jango easily dodged it, but Panthro sensed before he did that the beast called the Reek was still busily rampaging around the field, and it was on a collision course with him and Jango. He jumped out of the way and whacked the back of Jango's jetpack with one nun-chuck, causing it to malfunction. Jango hit the ground, and the Reek began to trample him. Somehow, he didn't break any bones, but the jetpack was broken, and he couldn't fly any more. He got to his knees and blasted the Reek in a vital spot with one of his blasters, killing the mad animal.
Soon, he noticed that Windu was ready to fight again, and he shot his blasters at him again, but Windu continued to deflect the bolts like an expert. Jango attempted to take off again, but his jetpack failed him, and as Panthro knocked one of his blasters out of his hand, Mace Windu swung his sword at Jango's neck.
A moment later, Jango's helmeted head rolled on the ground, and the rest of his body fell slack.
Dooku looked a little regretful at this sudden turn of events, but Mace and Panthro didn't. Little did Jedi or Cat know that in an alcove high above, a safe distance from the battle, Boba Fett had seen his "father's" death in action, and was moved to sadness, from which came secret anger and a desire for revenge.
A stray blaster bolt deflected by a Jedi effectively shot off the battle droid head from the protocol droid, causing it to collapse on the ground. Elsewhere, the droid with the protocol droid head was saying, as it fired from side to side, "Die, Jedi dogs. Oh! What did I say?"
Horus and the amphibious Jedi Master Kit Fisto were nearby as he said this. Horus found this mixed-up pest to be very annoying and gave it a light shock with his spear, stunning it for a second.
"Aaahhh!" the droid cried out. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry about all this!"
Kit gave the droid a gentle Force Push to the ground and made a busted super battle droid fall on top of him, pinning him down. Kit then grinned disarmingly.
Horus just cooed in disgust. Evidently, even the Birds did not love all technology.
"Uh, excuse me, I've fallen and I can't get up," the droid said helplessly.
More and more Jedi were being shot down by the battle droids, the Lizards, the Monkeys, and the Jackals, as well as the bad Birds. Animals on both sides kept falling from time to time, too. Tygra had finally managed to outwit Kaynar and knocked him down for the count. Lion-O and Obi-Wan were making progress with Slithe's reinforcements, and so was Cheetara with Addicus. In the meantime, Anakin had a brief moment with Padmé, as a super battle droid impatiently knocked aside a smaller battle droid in its eagerness to blast its enemies, and asked her, "You call this a diplomatic solution?" He smiled.
Padmé smiled back. "No, I call it aggressive negotiations." Then they continued to fight on, even though the Jedi forces were starting to be pushed back.
The stubborn Acklay was still wandering the field, seemingly impervious to all the battle going on around it. But that ended as it stepped up behind Obi-Wan and Lion-O, who had just managed to ward off their Lizard foes. Lion-O yelled, "ThunderCats, HO!" The Eye of Thundera blazed with sudden fire, blinding the Acklay. Then, Obi-Wan hacked at its front claws, crippling it, and finally drove his lightsaber into the creature's head, to finish it off.
There was one other who didn't seem to be affected by the conflict around him. A cute-looking little droid shaped like a blue-and-white barrel with a domed head the same colors, wheeled out from out of nowhere and over to the protocol droid's head. He proceeded to detatch the head from the battle droid's body.
"Artoo-Detoo!" the protocol droid exclaimed, "What are you doing out here. What is going on? Ouch! Watch what you're doing!"
The head popped off, and R2-D2 used a suction cup on a cord to drag the head over to the protocol body.
"Oh, now where are you taking me?" the droid protested. "Oh, this is such a drag!"
Artoo brought the head all the way to the neck of the body and started to re-attach it, slowly.
"Oh, do be careful, Artoo!" the droid complained. "Oh, is my head on straight?"
The battle was beginning to wind down by now. Countless Jedi had been cut down mercilessly by the enemy onslaught. Many Animals lay dead on the battlefield, as well. However, before the last of them could be finished off, Count Dooku gave a signal for the droids and their Animal allies to stop firing, and they all obeyed.
Lion-O and the Cats stopped fighting and looked around at the carnage. So did the Jedi. All the Cats still lived, and most of the Animals did, too, but the Jedi had been reduced to no more than give or take two dozen left. It didn't look good for them.
And we only just got here, too, Lion-O thought to himself.
"Master Windu," said Dooku, "You and your friends have fought gallantly. However, I would think it unwise to spend any more fruitless efforts in trying to defeat my superior firepower. Surrender, and your lives will be spared."
Mace's reply was adamant. "We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!"
Dooku feigned sadness. "Then, I'm sorry, old friend."
He gestured again for the droids, the Lizards, and their generals to get ready to attack again.
"I ask you again, Count," said Lion-O, "Where's Mumm-Ra? And Pumyra?"
The Count ignored him as if he hadn't just asked that.
"Who's Mumm-Ra?" asked a confused Obi-Wan.
"Yeah," said Anakin, "And who's Pumyra, too?"
But before anything could be said or done, shadows began to descend on them from above, rather large shadows.
"Look!" shouted Padmé. They all did.
Down from the sky, a dozen or so high tech gunships were descending into the arena. On one of them was Yoda, Anet, Aburn, Snarf, and the ThunderKittens, who did not look happy to see the mess of battle down below. And in that gunship, as well as every other one, were hundreds of lookalike men dressed in matching white plastoid armor, black body gloves, and white helmets with T-visors.
The clone army had arrived.
"We've gotta get them out of there, Master Yoda!" said WilyKat.
"Get them out of there, we will," Yoda assured him. Then he shouted, "Around the survivors, a perimeter create!"
The obedient clone troopers started to form said perimeter around all the Jedi and Animal forces, and the gunships began to fire their laser cannons and turret guns at the Separatist forces. They cut down most of the remaining Lizards, droids, etc. in the Petranaki arena, although Slithe, Addicus, Kaynar, and Vultaire still managed to escape. Some Lizards and droids remained behind to fight the clones to the bitter end.
"Master Yoda!" shouted Obi-Wan.
"Anet!" shouted Lion-O. "Kittens!"
Yoda had just noticed that Dooku had slipped away in the confusion. "Hurry, we must! Getting away, Count Dooku is!"
"That's right," said Panthro. "And it looks like we have an all-out war to fight, too."
The last of the Geonosian audience fluttered away as the Republic forces got ready to leave the arena. Jedi, Cats, and others leapt aboard the gunships as quickly as they could. Mace, Kit, and Ki-Adi got on Yoda and Anet's gunship. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé got on another one with Lion-O and Tygra. When Cheetara and Panthro got on Yoda's gunship, Cheetara said to the Kittens and Snarf, "You three stay in the arena for now. Make sure everyone left behind gets out all right, and protect them at all costs."
Kat and Kit pouted. "You're just saying that because you think it's too dangerous for us out there," said Kat.
Snarf meowed hopefully.
"It is too dangerous for you, kids," said Panthro firmly, "We're giving you a task that you can handle while the rest of us handle the dirtier work. We don't know yet how an all-out battle is going to affect you kids, or even if you'll survive it. Now do as Cheetara says, all right?"
Kit and Kat looked glum, but they conceded. "As you wish, Cheetara," said Kit.
They then got off their gunship with Snarf and began to check out the arena and the mess left behind within it as all the gunships and their crews flew into the wilds of Geonosis and into the first official battle of what would be called the Clone Wars.
The first thing they noticed was that a stubby little droid had just fixing another droid's head back on his body. They walked up to greet him.
"Hi, little guys," said Kit. "How're you doing?"
R2-D2 swiveled his domed head and whistled and beeped. C-3PO sat up and turned his own head in surprise. "Oh, I didn't realize we were not alone. Hello there, children."
"Pleased to meet you," WilyKit grinned. "I'm WilyKit, and this is my twin brother, WilyKat."
"A pleasure,' said Threepio. "I am See-Threepio, Human-Cyborg Relations, and this is my counterpart, Artoo-Detoo."
Artoo beeped happily.
"You're so cute," said Kit.
Threepio then said, "I wonder what just happened in here? I just had the most peculiar dream."
Kit giggled. "Good to see a droid with a sense of humor, isn't it, Kat?" Kat didn't answer.
"Kat?"
She soon noticed that WilyKat was staring nervously at another kid who was in the arena with them. Boba Fett was holding the still helmeted, severed head of his father, and it looked like he was so angry that he would never forget or forgive.
"I don't like the looks of that kid, sis," said Kat.
Kit glanced at Boba. The clone son of Jango looked up and glared daggers at the Kittens and the droids, as if saying, "Don't even think about messing with me."
Snarf cringed slightly. He found Boba's glower very intimidating, evidently.
"I guess we'd better leave him alone, bro," said Kit. "Let's just find a way out of this stinky arena with these droids. I have a feeling somebody good is looking for them."
"Sounds like a good idea to me too, Kit," said Kat.
Snarf couldn't agree more.
Meanwhile, within the fleet of gunships, the Cats and their allies could see the impressive-looking spacecraft the clones had come in. Like the Jedi starfighters, they were wedge-shaped, and had a tower-like structure at the back called a bridge. They were called Acclamator-class assault ships, or Republic Assault Ships, and they could each carry several hundred thousand clone troopers into battle. The gunships themselves were no less impressive, either. Rectangular, they had sleek, streamlined curves at each corner and wall joint, and they had downward-facing wings with missile launchers, as well as turret laser guns outside the sliding doors. These new Republic Gunships were called Low Altitude Assault Transports, or LAATs.
The Ravens had gone back to their SkyCutters to help the gunships fight in the skies, while the other Republic Animals rode in the gunships. Even now, Yoda was concerned about what Dooku might do next.
"If Dooku escapes, rally more systems to his cause, he will," he said to Mace and Anet.
"I agree with that," said Anet, "And I hope we can catch him, because my intuition tells me that if we do go to war, it will tear the galaxy apart by the time it is over, and perhaps the balance not only of the Force, but of the universe itself, too."
"Quite possible, yes," said Yoda. "Disembark over there, we must, Master Windu," he said to Mace, indicating an assembly area not far from their flight pattern.
Mace nodded. "Pilot!" he shouted to the clone pilot in the front of the gunship, "Land in that assembly area!"
"Yes, sir," the pilot said obediently and without question.
"I am already quite impressed by how obedient these troopers are," said Aburn.
"Trained to obey orders without question, the cloners on Kamino said they are," said Yoda.
"Good," said Aburn, "Maybe we can trust them to stay on our side, then."
At one point, Mace and Ki-Adi got off the gunship with Aburn and had a brief discussion with a clone trooper captain who wore armor with a red stripe painted on each side. Yoda and Anet moved on to another destination, where a clone commander with yellow stripes explained the military muscle of his corps' forces to the old Jedi Master.
"Very good," said Yoda, who sounded only half-sincere, "Very good."
"We shall soon find out exactly how good it truly is," mused Anet.
Battle raged all across the plains of Geonosis. The forces of the Republic and the forces of the Confederacy were en masse. The Republic gunships released a torrent of green laser fire upon the Separatist Droid Army. Another kind of gunship was landing massive walking tanks called All Terrain-Tactical Enforcers, or AT-TEs, to fight on the ground. ThunderTanks, SkyCutters, and the Feliner supplemented them on the ground and in the air. The Separatist droids and Animals, in turn, marched with Dwarf Spider Droids, Homing Spider Droids, and hoop-wheeled Hailfire Droid tanks. Clone troopers fired on the droids with their DC-15 blasters, firing blue blaster bolts, while the droids' E-5 blasters fired red ones.
The massive cannons and turbolasers of the AT-TEs smashed many Spider Droids to pieces, but other Spider Droids tore apart the clone infantry relentlessly. Fish, Ravens, other Birds, Elephants, Dogs, and Berbils fought head to toe with Lizards, Monkeys, and Jackals, trying to help the clones understand the creatures they were fighting against at the same time. A Hailfire Droid shot a torrent of missiles at the clone army, and it hit the cylinder beneath an AT-TE, effectively destroying it.
Mace Windu and other Jedi directed special superlaser cannons called SPHA-Ts to concentrate their fire on the escaping Trade Federation and Techno Union Core Ships, on which the living Separatists and substantial military forces were getting away. Dobo, Jorma, and some of the Birds were shown how to use the technology by the clone troops, and they were able to take down many Core Ships, but before long, many more of the enemy ships managed to escape intact. Word also came in that Mumm-Ra's Animal generals and the Separatist Council had just escaped in a private Neimoidian shuttle.
It didn't look good to the Jedi or the Animals. It looked like they might have to fight a big galactic war after all.
On one gunship, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, Lion-O, and Tygra were searching for Dooku, since Yoda and Mace were presently busy elsewhere. They were also helping to shoot down some of the Trade Federation and Techno Union ships. Anakin instructed the co-pilot to aim right above the fuel cells. The clone obeyed, and soon, the Techno Union ship in question was exploding. Obj-Wan complimented his Padawan's intelligence. So did Lion-O and Tygra, who were sincerely impressed by this young Chosen One.
Ultimately, they found a Geonosian speeder flying through the air. Dooku was piloting it. Two Geonosian fighters flanked him.
"It's Dooku! Shoot him down!" he ordered the pilot.
"We're out of rockets, sir," the pilot reported.
"Follow him, then!" Anakin said.
"We're going to need some help," said Padmé.
"There isn't time," said Obi-Wan, "Anakin and I can handle this!"
"So can we," said Lion-O, meaning himself and Tygra.
"You?" said Obi-Wan in surprise, "But you don't know Dooku, unless I'm quite mistaken."
"Not very well," said Tygra, "But you don't know Mumm-Ra. And if his Lizard army and its savage generals are here, fighting in this battle, you can bet Mumm-Ra's likely to be here, too."
"I know Mumm-Ra's here," said Lion-O. "He has to be. And where he goes, Pumyra can't be far away."
"Who exactly are Mumm-Ra and Pumyra, anyway?" Obi-Wan wanted to know.
"I guess there's no better time to explain it than the present," said Lion-O, "because you need to know what you're up against when you go to face Mumm-Ra."
During their talk, they hadn't noticed that Dooku had ordered one of his wingmen to drop behind the gunship and take it down. The insect pilot moved into position and fired. The gunship was just grazed, but Padmé and a clone commander fell out and onto the warm sand below, unconscious.
"Padmé!" Anakin screamed. "Put the ship down!"
"No!" said Obi-Wan, "It's still imperative that we catch Dooku before he can get away. Keep following that speeder!"
The clone pilot obeyed Obi-Wan. The rear gunner shot down the pursuing Geonosian fighter.
"Lower the ship!" insisted Anakin, getting a little angry.
"Anakin, calm yourself and think!" Obi-Wan shouted. "The mission comes first! I need you! If we can catch Dooku and this Mumm-Ra character, we can end this war right now! We have a job to do!"
"I don't care! Put the ship down!" Anakin yelled.
"You will be expelled from the Jedi Order!" Obi-Wan yelled back.
"I can't leave her!" Anakin insisted.
Lion-O and Tygra watched this display of words and heated emotions with astonishment. Obviously, Anakin was a very passionate man who cared greatly about certain people. And he and Obi-Wan didn't always get along, too. They briefly wondered how well Qui-Gon had gotten along with either of them.
"Come to your senses, Anakin!" Obi-Wan demanded, "What do you think Padmé would do if she were in your situation?"
Anakin was speechless for the first time. His face contorted with a mess of conflicted feelings and thoughts. Finally, he admitted, reluctantly, "She would do her duty."
"As should we," said Obi-Wan. He turned back to Dooku's speeder as Anakin continued to look a little frustrated.
"What was that all about?" Lion-O asked Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan looked down. "It's a long story. I think I'll explain it another time. Meanwhile, tell us what you know about this Mumm-Ra."
On the ground below, the battle was beginning to wind down, and it seemed that there was finally some good news. A clone commander said to Yoda, "The droid army is in full retreat."
"Well done, commander," said Yoda, "Bring me a ship."
"I will go with him," said Anet.
"Yes, sir," said the clone.
Dooku finally reached his destination, an opening in a cliff where he was probably hiding his getaway ship. He flew straight inside. When the gunship caught up, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and the Cats jumped off and ran inside. Behind them, as the gunship started to fly off, Dooku's other Geonosian wingman blasted it out of the sky.
Inside, the first things they saw were a luxurious-looking Geonosian starship called the Solar Sailer, and a pilot droid that promptly wheeled up the ship's ramp to ready the ship for takeoff, though probably also because it didn't stand a chance in battle against the Jedi or the Cats. The next thing they saw was Count Dooku, who turned to face them as they approached. And finally, there was an all too familiar (to the Cats) figure, dressed in a red robe and mummy wrappings, and with red glowing eyes.
Obi-Wan and Anakin stared at him for a long moment. "Lion-O," asked Obi-Wan, "is that…?"
"Yes," confirmed Lion-O. "Mumm-Ra."
A/N: The rest of the details of the Battle of Geonosis will be chronicled in chapter 2 of Plun-Darr Joins the Confederacy.