"Padme!" he gasped.
How could this be? The occupant of the next cell was obvious, the waves of brilliant force energy were swirling around the whole area as he recognized the distinct force signature of Skywalker. What were they doing here in the first place? They should be safely on Naboo right now, it didn't make any sense.
"What's wrong?" asked Boba at his side after he had been silent for too long.
"Something unexpected. We need to talk to Dooku, now."
"But Dad!" Boba protested and Obi-Wan turned on the lad.
"Please, Boba, this is not good. We need to find out what's going on here. We can't help him like this." Boba was taken aback by Obi-Wan's intense gaze, which softened when he saw the boy's fear.
He placed his hands on Boba's shoulders and knelt down to be on Boba's level. "Boba, we are not going to help your father by getting caught by those guards, no matter how much we want to smash them into very small pieces. Besides, something else is going on here. I have to know what's happening so we can come up with a better plan."
"He's running out of time," said Boba quietly, his anger and fear boiling inside him, but he felt better able to restrain himself looking into Obi-Wan's crystal blue eye.
"I know, Boba, I know and we are still his best hope of getting out of this, but we are going to have to be patient, just for a little while. Can you do that for him?" Boba thought about it for a moment, realizing he really had no choice and nodded slowly, looking down at his feet, trying to hide his disappointment at this new development.
"Come on," said Obi-Wan quietly, "Dooku has some answering to do."
They moved stealthily back the way they had come, but found their way pretty open once again until they approached Dooku's apartments. A contingent of Geonosian soldiers had formed a perimeter around his door while the Geonosian leader spoke to the Count. He looked genuinely confused, from Obi-Wan's point of view into the scene and although he could only make out Dooku's words, he got the gist of the conversation.
"This is a complete surprise to me, also, Poggle, I had no idea - " Poggle stopped him and continued, gesturing wildly. "But what motive could the Republic have to send spies now?" The Geonosian continued. "This is ludicrous, where did this information come from?" Poggle seemed to gloat over the response to this and Dooku seemed frustrated with his reply. "I don't expect you to only take my advice, but we should be wary of others motives. We know Senator Amidala has powerful enemies, they could easily be setting her up." Poggle seemed unimpressed and continued with his explanation. "Such signals can be faked. The Jedi are peacekeepers, I find it hard to believe Master Yoda would be leading an army of clones here. Allow me to contact the Jedi and I - " This openly angered Poggle and his gesticulations became more animated. Dooku once again looked shocked. "You think so little of me? After all I have done to ensure relations have remained peaceful?" Poggle seemed quieted by this but continued his accusing tone, even if it was more subtle. Dooku's frustration at the conversation was growing, Obi-Wan could tell and suddenly he felt the Count's presence reaching out to him as Poggle mentioned the name Kenobi. Dooku realized Obi-Wan was listening and thought quickly to respond to Poggle's inquiry. "They left a number of hours ago, Kenobi not wanting Boba to be here when his father is put to death. You have nothing to worry on that score." While speaking to Poggle, Dooku sent a mental warning to Obi-Wan.
/Leave, now, before they come looking for you. The execution has been moved to dawn and there is no telling what they will do to you if they find you wondering the halls. I have a hangar set up some distance from the city where a ship is laying in wait for me, but you and Boba take it./
Obi-Wan was shocked at how easily Dooku had established this link with him, but it made sense, after all he had taught Qui-Gon everything he knew, practically, so it would be easy to establish a connection through that old broken link of Obi-Wans.
/What of Padme and Skywalker?/
/How did you know about that?/
/They are no spies, what's going on?/
/There is no time! The war is on us! Get out of here!/ And with that Dooku shoved Obi-Wan through their link and out of his mind. Obi staggered back a moment as the last flash from Dooku's mind showed him where he needed to go to get the ship.
Obi-Wan pulled Boba back down the hall, leaving Dooku to deal with Poggle and he led Boba to a garage where Dooku had shown him they could find a swoop bike.
"How good a pilot are you, anyway?" he asked over the roar of the bike as they swept over the sands.
"Best you've ever seen!" said Boba proudly from behind the Jedi.
"That's good to hear, Boba, old man, because we're going to need your expertise." Keeping the boy occupied right now was his best bet at keeping him calm.
"Once we get on the ship I'll see if I can contact the Jedi who seem to be on their way here. Maybe we can get their assistance and find out what the heck all this craziness is about!"
The Hangar was high in a mountain ridge that the bike was able to swing into with a little nudge of the force. Once inside they quickly made their way to the craft that looked more like an escape pod than a spaceship.
"What a piece of junk!" exclaimed Boba at the rather lackluster craft.
"Well, it's all we've got, let's check it out." They moved inside the small cabin which was just big enough for the two of them and scanned the controls.
"You find any weapon systems?" asked Obi-Wan, working at the communications.
"Nothing, no canons no blasters. I think it has a fresher in back, but that's about it."
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in resignation. "Oh well, we could always flush on them, I suppose!" he said sarcastically.
"What do we do now?" asked the increasingly agitated Boba. Obi-Wan's own frustration was in danger of clouding his judgment so he breathed calmly and switched the comm. to the low Jedi frequency used in times of distress, he just hoped they hadn't changed the actual frequency after all these years.
"Master Yoda, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis, do you read me?"
There was nothing but static, so Obi-Wan tried again and the link suddenly spluttered open.
"A while since this frequency used, old padawan," came Yoda's distinct voice, "gladdens my heart it does to hear your voice."
"Yours too Master, but I have grave news to report. The Separatists appear to think they are at war with the Republic after the spies Senator Amidala and Padawan Skywalker were captured and the leadership was informed you were leading a clone army here. Master, are you in charge of a clone army?"
"Senate assumed clones for Republic, it did," came the crackly response, "None did we bring, diplomatic mission, this is."
"Poggle, the Geonosian leader, claims they picked up an invasion fleet following you. Could you, by any chance look out the back of your ship!"
"There's no fleet following us, Kenobi," came the unmistakable voice of Mace Windu, "now, explain your behavior to us. Why have you sided with these Separatists?"
"Explanations can wait, the Senator and Skywalker are in imminent danger and I sense the sith lord Darth Maul is either on planet or rapidly approaching. I feel he is behind this terrifying turn of events and I think he is desperate to turn this misunderstanding into the chaos of a galactic war. How soon can you get here?"
"Out of hyperspace we will be momentarily, Obi-Wan."
"We need more time!" Kenobi was running out of options, he needed that execution postponed so that Yoda could get there and sort things out.
"Well, we could land this thing in the arena," said Boba quietly, almost missed by Obi-Wan. He turned and looked at the boy's hopeful face. "That might give us a little time."
Obi-Wan smiled and rested his hand on Boba's shoulder. "Yeah, it would until they opened fire on us and our defenseless ship."
"I don't see you coming up with anything!"
Obi-Wan shook his head, Boba was right, he hadn't thought of anything useful. In shaking his head his gaze fell upon the mechanism that truly flew the ship once in space, the solar sail. It was made of one of the most robust but flexible materials known in the galaxy and its surface was dazzlingly reflective and the spark of an idea came to him.
A slow smile played across his face. "Boba, old man, you are a genius!"