Chapter 19: Geonosis

The rescue had not gone as planned. Actually, on reflection, it was really a very, very poor idea. Situations like this would get Qui-Gon yelled at by the Council later, but that was what he got for following what he believed was right. One thing was certain: Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master, was getting far too old for this sort of thing.

Not Anakin, though. Anakin was brilliant. His first taste of real combat, and he took to it like he was born for it. Which, Qui-Gon guessed, he was. A child with his level of Force potential was made for the Jedi, and it showed. He was powerful, yes, and his talent with a lightsaber, his true passion, was outstanding. It wasn't enough, of course, but Anakin seemed to have infinite stamina, even when using the draining Ataru, drinking deep from the well of the Force and using it to augment his already considerable strength.

They had killed hundreds of Geonosians, but they were fighting insects within their hive, and their numbers were beyond counting. Which led them to this moment, stripped of their weapons and manacled together, standing on carts that would bring them into the arena where they would be executed. The charge was espionage, and while it wasn't true, Qui-Gon considered it a fair assessment, from the Geonosian point of view.

"...Master?" Anakin whispered, and the larger man leaned down to listen. "Are we going to die?"

"Probably, yes."

Anakin nodded, and Qui-Gon found himself proud of the boy. There was no fear in his bright blue eyes, just grim resolve and...acceptance. "I'm sorry, Padmé," the Padawan said, smiling softly. "We shouldn't have brought you with us."

"I'm glad I was here. You don't need to apologize, I wanted to be here with you."

Anakin felt his heart beat faster, a deep flush coming to his face. "Focus, Anakin, " Qui-Gon said sternly, his dark blue eyes roving over the dimly lit corridor that led to the arena. "If we want to have any hope of escape, we need to observe everything around us. See what we can use, identify any weaknesses we can find-"

A sharp gasp from his Padawan made the Master look to the young man, and Qui-Gon groaned loudly. Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, childhood friends with a clear attraction problem, we leaned over the rail of their respective carts, leaving swift, chaste kisses on the other's lips. It wasn't unexpected, but the timing was highly inconvenient. "Honestly, Anakin, this isn't helping..."

"Yes it is, it totally is..."

"Contrary to what you seem to think, kissing a Senator isn't lucky!"

"Uh huh."

"No! It isn't!" Qui-Gon sighed, giving up as the teen returned his attentions to Padmé. They were likely going to be dead within the hour anyway. He supposed it didn't matter much. The gates opened, and Qui-Gon squinted against the light, harsh and bright against the sand as they were rolled out into the arena. Four pillars stood in the center of the large ring, but all Qui-Gon could see was his former Master Dooku on the balcony high above.

They were chained to the pillars, one for each, and Qui-Gon took stock of his surroundings, glancing to his left to find Quinlan Voss chained to the next pillar over. The Kiffar seemed dazed, hazy, and for a moment, Qui-Gon had thought something was seriously wrong. But then the Master's brown eyes focused, and he turned to the other Jedi and smiled.

"Did you contact the Council?"

"I did. I've never heard Master Windu so angry."

"What, at me?!"

"No, at the Sith." He tried to shrug, but his arms were held painfully over his head, and he couldn't. "Then we decided to come rescue you."

Quinlan leaned over, carefully observing the Master, the Padawan, and the Senator, and the chains that held them. "...well done! Truly spectacular, Master Jinn. You're an inspiration."

"Would you rather be here alone?"

"No," he gasped, his eyes sliding out of focus as he trembled and looked distinctly unwell.

"What have they done to you? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, they didn't do anything..." The Kiffar breathed deeply, finding his focus once again. "There's a lot of pain and death here, I'm getting visions..."

"Quinlan, your powers are the literal worst."

"Tell me about it." Dooku began to speak, some Separatist nonsense that Quinlan ignored, but the Master next to him was quickly growing angry, his dark blue eyes narrowed in fury. "Qui-Gon." The Master did not respond. His jaw just clenched tighter, his hands balling into fists. "Qui-Gon!" That got the Jedi's attention. "Focus! We're going to get out of here. Dooku and I have unfinished business."

"Yes. I have business with him as well." The gates opened again, and the Geonosians led in four large, vicious creatures, only two of which Qui-Gon recognized. "That's a Reek," he whispered to Quinlan, indicating with his head to a large horned quadruped.

"Aggressive?"

"Not usually, but they are when they're hungry."

Quinlan grinned. "That feline? Nexu. Very dangerous. Very fast." He clicked his tongue, shifting his shoulders. "I killed two on a mission to Cholganna."

"So...not dangerous, then."

"Ha, ha, you're an asshole, Qui-Gon." He lifted his foot, pointing with his boot at a large, reptilian creature with long, bladed forelegs. "Who's the big guy?"

"Acklay. Very dangerous. I'm unfamiliar with the last beast."

Quinlan grinned. "Oh, it's a Maalraas." He laughed loudly. "We're going to die."

"That bad?" Qui-Gon looked nervously at the red-furred feline creature, jagged fangs in it's mouth, it's long neck swaying as it sniffed the air.

"They're Force sensitive. The can use the Force to cloak their presence. How cool is that?"

"That would be much more interesting if we weren't about to be killed by it." Qui-Gon looked over at Anakin and Padmé. He couldn't see the Senator well, but Anakin's sharp eyes were looking over the creatures, his fine features bold and defiant. "Anakin." The Padawan looked over. "I have a plan, but it requires leaving one of the beasts unattended."

"I vote for the...uh..."

"In the presence of predators, the Reek may leave us alone long enough to get control of the situation." Quinlan said quickly. "I've got the Maalraas."

Qui-Gon surveyed the beasts, the ferocious Acklay rearing and killing one of the Geonosians that brought it in. "I can take that one. I should be able to subdue it. Anakin, do you remember what I taught you about controlling beasts."

"Um...y-yes, Master."

"Be ready, than, we can-" The beasts were released, and the feline Nexu raced toward the pillar that Padmé was attached to, Anakin shouting in rage, but the girl wasn't there. While the Jedi were planning, the Senator was using the chain to pull herself up the pillar. The Nexu roared, leaping upon the pillar, sharp claws digging into the stone, and was met with a heavy chain striking it in the face when it got too close to the Senator.

"Well, never mind then, she's fine," Qui-Gon drawled. "Anakin, you get the Reek."

"Yes, right..."

The other creatures did not have the start that the Nexu had, and the Reek had to be prodded into charging, and when it did, Anakin called out to it through the Force, catching the beast's attention, and it stampeded toward him. With a well-timed leap, Anakin jumped clear over the creature as it's heavy head hit the stone, the pillar crumbling to the ground, snapping the chain that held the Padawan. He swung it, catching the Reek around the neck, and he held on with all his strength as the quadruped bucked, trying to shake the Jedi off.

Qui-Gon stood still, centering himself in the Force as the Acklay ambled toward him, lifting it's long, bladed leg and swiping at the Jedi, the Master moving quickly out of the way as the razor sharp appendage cut through the chain and dug into the stone of the pillar. Freed from his chain, Qui-Gon rushed back, the slowly moving creature coming after him, and the Jedi Master held his hands out before him, channeling the Force to flow around the creature, and the beast slowed, shook it's head, it's movements becoming sluggish and random as it slowly fell under the sway of the Jedi Master.

Quinlan wasn't so lucky. The Maalraas carefully stalked around the Kiffar, the two Force wielders sizing each other up, measuring their strength in the Force. When the creature finally pounced, Quinlan was ready, swiftly scrambling halfway up the stone pillar and waiting, the chain looped down beneath him. The Maalraas returned to it's stalking when it found its prey to be swift, but Quinlan didn't move, his brown eyes watching the creature's every movement. Slowly, he dangled one of his legs beneath him to hang between the loop of the chain. The Maalraas pounced, hissing as it did so, and Quinlan swiftly withdrew his leg, letting go of the pillar as he did so and falling back, passing the snarling carnivore as he fell to the ground. As his feet hit the ground, the Kiffar used his momentum to yank the chain down hard, meeting resistance for only a moment before he heard a loud, wet snap, the beast's neck snapping between the force of the looped chain.

Geonosian soldiers rushed into the arena carrying long spears and electric prods, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. The Jedi were free, and they had control of the situation. Qui-Gon rushed back to the pillars, the Acklay following at his command and the long, bladed legs stabbed at the relentless Nexu that attacked Padmé, the creature howling for just a moment as the sharp point impaled the beast. The Senator started to climb down, but Qui-Gon ordered her to stay where she was, and the Jedi rushed off, his Acklay on his heels as they met the Geonosians.

It was a slaughter. Between Qui-Gon's Acklay, the Reek that Anakin rode, and Quinlan's fearsome close combat skills, the Geonosian soldiers quickly fell, more numbers only giving the Jedi more weapons to work with. With the execution clearly failed, Dooku quietly commanded the Geonosian leader to release the droids.

When the droidekas rolled out, the Jedi abandoned their beasts, rushing back to the pillars as the remaining two creatures were shot down, their large bodies falling to the ground, dry dust swirling around them. Anakin helped Padmé down, and the four stood within a ring of droids, the Jedi protectively creating a wall around the Senator.

"...we made a good go of it, huh?" Quinlan said softly, and Qui-Gon smiled, nodding.

"We did. You and Anakin were brilliant."

"You were too, Master," Skywalker said softly, and the elder Jedi smiled modestly, breathing deep and closing his eyes, centering himself in the Force.

The rest was chaos.

The three Jedi stood in the arena, stunned, as the arena stands began to glow and hum with lightsabers. Hundreds of them. Hundreds of Jedi jumped down to the sands of the arena, instantly setting to combating the battle droids that now poured into the stadium, blaster bolts firing and being effortlessly deflected by the Jedi. Anakin, Qui-gon and Quinlan ducked their heads, rushing toward their Jedi brothers and sisters and shielding Padmé as best as they could. When they reached the Knights, they were handed lightsabers, Anakin laughing loudly as he ignited the blue blade and rushed to join the fight. Quinlan turned his on, the green blade extending, and he twirled it in his hand, deflecting stray blaster bolts and getting a feel for the unfamiliar weapon. He grinned, looking back at Qui-Gon Jinn, holding a green blade and frowning.

"Hey, look alive, Jinn! What could you possibly be moping about?"

"...nothing." Cutting down the droids that were slowly advancing toward him, he stayed by the Kiffar's side, the two Jedi quickly falling into an easy unison as they fought back the tide of the mechanical army.

"This day isn't going how I expected," the Kiffar drawled, cutting through a nearby droid. "I was pretty sure I'd be dead by now. I half expected the Council to just leave me."

"Well, you are a royal pain in the ass..."

"So are you."

"I'm old. I've earned it." The Kiffar covered Qui-Gon as a destroyer droid approached, the Master diving behind it and severing it at the legs, and Quinlan brought his blade down into its head, the mechanical thing whirring before going still and silent. Qui-Gon looked up into the stands where Dooku stood watching. "...we need to get him."

"I don't know if we can, we're sort of surrounded."

"He has my lightsaber."

Quinlan rolled his eyes. "He has my lightsaber too. Forget about it, we can make new ones when we get back to Coruscant."

"You can, but I can't." Quinlan reeled on the Master, irritated, and stopped when he saw pain and rage in those deep blue eyes. "That lightsaber belonged to Obi-Wan."

The Kiffar bit his lip and looked up at the Sith Lord. "...we need to get your lightsaber back." There was an army of droids and swarming Geonosians between them and the Count. Quinlan had seen worse. "Come on, I'll cover you."

With a nod, the two Jedi ran into the fray, easily deflecting blaster bolts and cutting down the droids that stood in their way. They passed Jedi they knew, friends, that were fighting as they were, and Quinlan thought he saw the distinctive purple blade of Mace Windu engaging the Mandalorian bounty hunter from Kamino. But more than that, they ran past the dead. Heaps of battle droids lay broken, but there were Jedi too. Lots of them, scattering the ground and lifeless, and for a moment, Qui-Gon couldn't help but think that the rescue may not have been worth it.

They jumped up into the stands, the Geonosian swarm scattering before them like the insects they were, and the two Masters rushed up the stairs toward Dooku's elevated box. Quinlan was faster, younger, and much more nimble than th aging Qui-Gon, and he leapt up into the box easily, bringing his saber down against the Count, his red blade easily blocking. The Kiffar grinned broadly.

"I want my lightsaber back," he chirped when he saw two sabers hanging off of the Sith Lord's belt, and Dooku just rolled his eyes, clearly unconcerned at the threat the Jedi before him possessed.

"I don't have your lightsaber."

"Sure you do, I can see it." He swung the weapon, each strike quickly blocked, and the Kiffar smirked when he saw Qui-Gon's head pop up over the railing of the balcony, his hand outstretched. He narrowly avoided a swift forward thrust, and the Master bit his lip, focusing at the fight at hand. He knew he was good, very good, but Dooku outmatched him. This wasn't a fight he'd win.

The Count reeled around when he felt the weight of the two sabers fly off his belt, and his eyes narrowed when he saw his old student, his dark blue eyes narrowed in anger, his hand clutching the two weapons that he had stolen back. With an angry snarl, Dooku blocked a strike from Quinlan and grabbed him through the Force, the Kiffar squirming in his grasp as he struggled for breath. With a violent push, Quinlan was thrown through the air, and Qui-Gon Jinn let go of the balcony, quickly racing down the stadium and just barely managed to catch the falling Kiffar Master. He glared up at Dooku through the swarm of Geonosians as they began their attack, and the two Masters were forced to retreat back down to the center of the arena where the Jedi stood.

Hundreds of Jedi were present at the start of the fight, but now, as Qui-Gon looked around, only the best of the Order remained. They now numbered in the thirties, and while he was relieved to see that Anakin was still living, it did not bring him any comfort. The droids were too many, even for Jedi. They were all going to die. Suddenly, the droids all stopped attacking, and Qui-Gon ran to his Padawan, keeping him close. Little Padmé was with him, a blaster gripped in her hands. She smiled at him, a little, scared smile, but she was trying to be as brave as she could be. The paralyzing fear of death seemed to have worn off, if it was even there to begin with, and she was now filled with grim determination.

Qui-Gon nudged Anakin and handed him his lightsaber, and with a grateful smile, the Padawan dropped the saber he had been using and ignited his own.

"Surrender," Dooku called from his balcony perch, and the reason for the cease-fire became clear. "I do not want anymore death today."

"We won't be used as bargaining pieces for the Separatists!" Mace cried, his voice filled with fury, and Dooku looked remorseful. Qui-Gon scoffed. He didn't know why the Sith was even trying to uphold appearances.

Dooku inclined his head. "Then you will all die." The Jedi raised their sabers as blasters hummed with the high whine of the charging rounds, Obi-Wan's blue saber igniting in Qui-Gon's hand.

But death never came.

The loud screech of a transport ship was heard overhead, the heavily armed craft descending and firing relentlessly upon the droid army and the Geonosians. It was followed by another, than another, than another, until the surviving Jedi found themselves surrounded by the military crafts, the hatches opening and clone troopers stormed out, a highly trained, highly effective fighting force that kept the droids and the chittering insectoids safely at bay. Qui-Gon looked up to the balcony to find that Dooku was gone. Panic gripped him. The Sith could not be allowed to escape. He reached out and grabbed Quinlan's arm, the Kiffar looking haggard and tired and leaning on a supportive Luminara.

"He's gone, Quinlan, Dooku's gone."

The Kiffar groaned loudly, his head dropping to Luminara's shoulder. "Just make this end, please."

"Escape, he cannot," Master Yoda said softly, stepping out of one of the military crafts, his stick planted in the sand of the arena. "End, this war will, if capture Dooku, we can."

"We don't know where he went, Master," Quinlan softly groaned, "but send me out there, and I'll catch the bastard."

"You aren't going alone," Luminara said, grabbing her friend's hand. "Barriss and I will go with him, Master Yoda." The old Master nodded, and the two Masters and the Padawan stepped inside the craft, the clone soldiers surrounding them, and they took off into the air.

"We won't catch him with just one ship. I'll take Anakin and we'll head off in the other direction." Qui-Gon looked at his Padawan, and Skywalker nodded, kneeling before Yoda.

"We won't fail, Master, but we were sworn to protect the Senator. Can you take her?"

Yoda nodded. "To safety, I will bring her. Go."

With a nod, Master and Padawan jumped into the shuttle, and they went in search of the Sith Lord.

"Honestly, what is taking you so long?" Obi-Wan snapped when Dooku came striding into the hanger, his solar sailor waiting to take them safely and secretly off-planet. Kenobi had felt something would be going horribly wrong when he saw Qui-Gon captured on the security footage, and he had run off to prepare for his and Dooku's escape. He was eager to leave. With the arrival of the Jedi with the clone army, the situation suddenly became extremely dangerous. The war could be ended in a day if they did not escape. If Dooku was caught, the war was over.

"Patience, Kenobi, we are going. They won't be able to find us."

"Don't underestimate the Jedi," he growled, pulling his hood over his head. "I have ordered the evacuation of the foundries. The Malevolence and the Negotiator managed to escape to Mustafar before the Republic came." Dooku nodded.

"Well done."

"I know it was well done," he growled, rolling his eyes, "you don't need to tell me it was well done. Get on the ship."

"You aren't my Master, Lumis," the Count drawled, coming close to the nervous Sith Lord as he swiftly worked at a control console upon the wall, preparing the hanger to release the ship.

"I know I'm not your Master, you idiot. If you are sore about what I did to you earlier, you can have it out with me all you like. On. The. Ship."

Dooku scoffed, turning from the Sith to walk up the ramp into the solar sailor, and he stopped in his tracks. Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker ran into the room, blue sabers blazing. The Count looked back to see Obi-Wan, his face hidden by the hood, but his golden eyes glowing with the power of the Dark Side and fixed on his old Master's face.

Qui-Gon put a hand out in front of his Padawan, stopping the teen from advancing. His dark blue eyes surveyed the scene, his senses alert and the chill in the Force nearly freezing him to the spot. "Do nothing reckless, Anakin," he whispered, eyes locking with Dooku's as the Sith drew his weapon. "There are two of them."

"Master, that's the Negotiator."

"I suspect so."

Dooku started to move forward, but the smooth, slow, mocking drawl of "Master," dripped off the Negotiator's tongue like poison, and Qui-Gon froze, his blue eyes slowly drifting to the blazing gold of the hooded Sith. The hooded man grabbed Dooku harshly by the collar, sending the old man stumbling to face the shorter man. "To the ship. Now," he hissed, and, with a last look to the Jedi, Dooku slowly walked toward the ship's ramp, a pleased smirk on his face.

Anakin grinned, grabbing his saber tight in his hand and dashing past his Master despite the older man's cries. He needed to get to Dooku before the Sith Lord disappeared into that ship, and he wasn't listening to anybody in that moment. The Negotiator held no power over him. He was stopped suddenly, as if he had hit an invisible wall, the chill in the air freezing him to the spot, his lungs refusing to fill with air. He felt chills run up his spine, as if something was running over him, through him, coiling around him like snaking tendrils of smoke, and for a moment, he could hear nothing but a singular word.

"Kneel."

The Padawan dropped to his knees with a cry, his hand shaking to hold the lightsaber toward the one that issued the command, but the Negotiator wasn't even looking at him. He was looking at Qui-Gon, blue saber held out, cautiously, carefully drawing closer to his student. "They call you the Negotiator," Qui-Gon said softly. "Fine. Let's negotiate."

"We are well beyond that, Qui-Gon." Anakin watched his Master freeze, the blade in his hand shaking as he listened to the crisp accent of the hooded man. Skywalker reached out to his Master with the Force and found fear, memories flooding through his panicked mind, and above all else, there was denial. Gritting his teeth, Anakin stood and rushed to his Master, and Qui-Gon's heavy hand fell on his shoulder, gripping him for balance.

"Master, come on, focus, get a hold of yourself!"

"I know that voice..." the Master intoned, his voice dead, lifeless, and Anakin's eyes shot to the Negotiator as he laughed softly, his hands pulling the heavy black cloak off his shoulders and tossing it to the side.

Anakin stood up taller. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't what he saw. The man was young, his tousled hair and neatly trimmed beard a sandy blond, and he dressed in fine, elegant black robes and tunic trimmed with red. Modesty clearly wasn't one of his virtues, as the man was pristinely kept, and those piercing, golden eyes were burning with intelligence, visibly glowing even without the shadows of his hood. Above all else, though, the man was absolutely soaked in the Dark Side, the violence of the Force raging around him like a tempest.

Anakin grinned. He and his Master could take this Sith. He raised his saber, glaring at the man. "You'll pay for the Jedi you've killed today."

"Me?" The Negotiator chuckled. "I haven't killed anyone."

"Come on, Master, we can take him!" But he didn't feel his Master's comforting presence at his side. Instead, he heard Qui-Gon drop to his knees and slump back on his heels, his dark blue eyes wide, his pupils narrow pinpoints as he focused on the Negotiator. "Master? Master, come on."

Qui-Gon seemed not to hear Anakin. All he could do was stare in disbelief, and quietly choke, "Obi-Wan."

"...what?" Skywalker's eyes shot to the smirking man, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his gold eyes glowing with amusement. "No, it can't be. Master, Obi-Wan is dead!"

"From a certain point of view," the Negotiator drawled, "I suppose that would be true."

"...you?" Anakin asked, standing and facing the man, his lightsaber held relaxed at his side. "You're Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

The man bowed deeply, his golden eyes never leaving the Padawan's face. "I'm a bit insulted you don't remember me, Anakin Skywalker. But I remember you." Kenobi laughed harshly when those blue eyes widened. "You helped set me down this path, after all."

"Stop..." Qui-Gon choked from the ground, his hand tightly clutching around the lightsaber, and Anakin could feel himself burn. This creature wasn't Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he couldn't allow it to stand here and torment his Master. "Obi-Wan, please, leave him out of this..."

"But he's a part of it, isn't he, Master?" the man snarled, his voice mocking and angry, and Qui-Gon shook. "If you hadn't taken him from that pathetic waste of a planet, if you hadn't tossed me away for a slave, none of this would have happened!"

Anakin had enough, and he felt rage consume him, and with a vicious yell, young Skywalker threw himself at the Negotiator, blade angled right at the man's heart, but Kenobi deftly stepped to the side, swiftly drawing his own weapon as Anakin shot past. The red blade thrummed to life, and Anakin eyed the weapon, breathing hard and looking at his Master, looking so much older than he was, much more weary than he had ever been, like the very life had been drained from him.

"So much for peaceful negotiations," Anakin snarled, and Kenobi spun the blade deftly in his hand.

"This? You're the one that attacked me. I drew my weapon in self-defense." He chuckled softly as he felt the boy's anger grow. "Who sounds like the Sith now, Skywalker."

The Padawan threw himself at Kenobi again, much more ferocious than before, but it didn't phase the Sith Lord. If anything, it seemed to amuse him, each heavy strike, each cry of fury making the man grin wider, the yellow eyes glow brighter. Anakin rained swift, heavy blows down on the Sith, only to have the man easily block and parry his every strike. He could not break the man's defense. Their blades locked when Kenobi effortlessly ducked under a wild swing and brought his saber swiftly around and down on the hapless Padawan, Skywalker only just barely blocking the swift, precision strike and struggling as the grinning Sith pressed his red blade ever closer.

"Look at you..." he drawled softly, leaning close to the Jedi, and Anakin shivered as the yellow eyes bore into him. "You're positively filled with the Dark Side...is this what Qui-Gon creates? A line of fallen Jedi."

Rage gripped him, and he swung his blue saber around, forcing the Sith to back off, the amusement fading from the golden eyes and replaced with pure fury. Anakin did not relent, furiously beating against the Sith's defense, his connection to the Force straining through the violence of his attack. It only took a second, the red blade quickly moving up to strike at Anakin's blue weapon, a quick change from his earlier deflections, and it was enough to set the Padawan off balance for a fraction of a second. But it was enough.

The red lightsaber twisted in the Sith's grip, bringing the weapon arching upward, the crimson bade connecting with Anakin's right elbow and effortlessly cutting right through, Skywalker's eyes wide with shock as he watched his lightsaber fall to the ground next to his severed arm. The Negotiator held out his hand, and the Force rushed through him, hitting Anakin square in the chest and sending him flying backwards, skidding to a stop next to his Master.

The shock was beginning to wear off, and watching his old student disfigure his current one was sobering enough to pull Qui-Gon Jinn back to the present. He stood, his legs shaking, but he managed, and he pointed his glowing blue weapon at Obi-Wan. The Sith Lord smirked, tilting his head and observing the Master curiously.

"You would raise my own weapon against me, Qui-Gon?" The Master said nothing, and Obi-Wan held up his own red lightsaber. "This blade came from the weapon that almost killed you. Shall we see if it can hit it's mark this time?"

"How could you do this..." The blade in his hand trembled, and Kenobi scoffed, pacing around the Master and the fallen Padawan.

"I didn't do this, you did. This was all you." He stopped, golden eyes looking toward the ceiling, and then he shook his head. "Perhaps not all you. The Jedi Council didn't help matters much." His golden eyes narrowed, drifting toward the Padawan on the ground that was struggling to hold onto consciousness, his hand gripped tightly to the seared flesh of his amputation. "You replaced me with that, Qui-Gon? How is that working out?" The Master stood, at a loss for words, and Obi-Wan laughed, pointing his blade at the fallen Anakin. "You must be so disappointed in him. I killed my first Sith Lord. Wasn't he supposed to be better than me? In every way?"

"I led you to this..." The blue eyes narrowed, looking his former student over, and he shivered. "I can understand your anger, Obi-Wan, the rift between us was wide, and deep, but the Sith?! How could you join them!"

"The Sith," he drawled smoothly, slowly stepping toward the Master, "gave me everything I wanted. They gave me power I could never have as a Jedi. I'm stronger than you, for certain."

"You were always stronger than me."

"And I'm stronger than him," Kenobi snarled, the blade pointing menacingly at the prone Skywalker. "Your wonder child. The boy you threw me away for. You tell me, was it worth it? Knowing what you know now, was it worth bringing that boy to you?" He scoffed, laughing harshly as Qui-Gon slowly put himself between the Sith and his fallen Padawan. "So much for the greatest Force potential you have ever seen. He is nothing."

"I spent years mourning you, my Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said softly, raising his weapon and eyes narrowing in Focus.

"I'm not your Obi-Wan."

"You are. You always will be." He stepped forward, the lightsaber held at his hip, blade angled toward the Sith Lord. "You're the Sith Apprentice?" Kenobi nodded, a wicked smirk on his lips. "Dooku is your Master then?"

Obi-Wan stared at Qui-Gon, and a wide grin slowly spread across his face before he erupted into hapless, unrestrained laughter. "Dooku, the Sith Master? That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. He is nothing."

Qui-Gon nodded. "Just checking. We all thought you were dead, but this is worse. The Jedi will believe you truly lost." He closed his eyes, breathing deep. "But I'm not losing you again. Come back. I can help you."

"I don't need help, Qui-Gon," the Sith snarled, his previously amused features becoming harsh and vicious. "I chose this, I wanted this!"

Neither was sure who moved first, but the red and blue sabers clashed in a fury of sparks, the blades humming from the contact, the Dark Side surging around the Sith Lord and the Jedi Master centered within the Force. Qui-Gon was fast, faster than Obi-Wan had expected, especially for an aging man, and he slipped back into the easy comfort of his defensive style, allowing the Master to rain strikes against the red blade in his hand. Kenobi moved gracefully, retreating as the Jedi pressed a furious offense, trying to get between Qui-Gon and Skywalker, but the Master saw the game that Obi-Wan was playing and carefully continued to guard Anakin.

Kenobi spun, striking low, and the Master easily blocked it, but had to move swiftly to bring the blue blade up to block the vicious downward strike, his arms shaking under the strain as the blades locked. The Sith was younger, faster, stronger than the Jedi Master, and the hard offense was beginning to take its toll on Qui-Gon.

"I see you haven't changed," Kenobi purred, the anger that was etched on his face before gone and replaced again by amusement. The Sith was enjoying this. "But I think it's time for this to end, I have a ship to catch. This has been fun, though. We should do it again."

Qui-Gon angled his blade down, the red saber sliding off to the side, and the Jedi swung his saber around his head, the blue plasma leaving an arching trail in the air as it slashed down at the Sith, but the golden-eyed man ducked under the blade, the weapon narrowly missing the man's neck. The Sith held his hand out, and Qui-Gon suddenly found himself lifted into the air, a crushing grip on his throat, and the Jedi dropped his lightsaber as he clawed at the intangible hands of the Force.

"You would kill me, Master?" Kenobi asked sweetly, but his tone was mocking and vicious, and the Jedi's chest began to spasm and heave as he choked for air. "I'm offended, you know how I loathe violence..." He released his grasp slightly, just enough for Qui-Gon to suck in thin breaths of air, just enough to keep the man conscious and alive. His yellow eyes drifted to Skywalker, the young Jedi grunting in pain as he struggled to get to his feet, but he could not. A smooth smirk spread across the Sith's face. "Let me show you something, Qui-Gon. Watch closely now."

Obi-Wan's left hand was slightly elevated, holding Qui-Gon aloft and choking him, the red blazing blade in his right, and the Jedi looked in horror as the Sith Lord locked eyes with Anakin, the Padawan's face contorting in rage, but Kenobi just smiled.

"Come here, Anakin." The Padawan gasped, the rage falling from his face, and slowly, with a strength that wasn't his own, Skywalker rose, slowly shuffling to stand before the Sith Lord. Qui-Gon struggled, kicking his legs, trying to call out to his student, but his throat was held too tightly. "Kneel." Anakin did, slowly, his body shaking as his mind resisted, but the Sith Lord was firmly lodged in his mind, the intense pain of his severed arm diverting his focus, preventing him from raising any kind of defense at all.

The Sith Lord chuckled, low and deep and throughly amused as a strangled cry was torn from the throat of the Jedi Master. "Once a slave, always a slave," he purred, glancing up at the struggling Qui-Gon, his efforts to break free renewed. "Shall I show you? Anakin, darling." The hazy blue eyes drifted to the Sith Lord's face, his red saber held easily at his side. The yellow eyes glanced down to it, Skywalker's gaze following. "Put the blade at your throat."

A tremor ran through the teen, the words echoing in his head until they became louder and louder, a deafening roar that blocked out the sound of his Master struggling, the soft chuckling of the Sith, the thrum of the crimson lightsaber, the pounding of his own heart. With a shaking hand, Anakin reached up and gently, carefully grabbed Kenobi's wrist, and, tilting his head back, he drew the Sith's hand toward him, the deadly blade less than an inch from his exposed neck, his tremulous hand moving the blade just enough to make the saber waiver ever closer.

"You see, Qui-Gon? Always a slave. He will never be anything else." He looked up at the suspended Master, a cruel smirk on his lips as the Padawan whimpered and the other Jedi gasped for breath. "That's all you Jedi are. Slaves to a corrupt Republic. And slaves were made to be ruled. Wonoksh Qyâsik nun. The Code of the Sith demands it."

Qui-Gon ceased his struggling and closed his eyes. He wanted it to be over. He had failed Anakin, he had failed the Jedi and the Republic, but above all else, he had failed Obi-Wan Kenobi when the growing boy had needed him most. His fallen student was right. This was the Master's fault. The pain returned, the wound on his heart from the boy's death reopening and torn far worse than before. The rift between them, all their conflict, especially toward the end seemed so meaningless now. If he had been more aware, more in tune with the needs of the boy, this would never have happened. Qui-Gon took in a thin, wispy breath and held it, waiting for the end to come.

But it never did.

Instead of the tightening around his throat that he had come to expect, Qui-Gon felt the grip loosen, not enough to drop him, but enough for the Jedi to exhale easily and take in a long, deep breath of air, his lungs burning fiercely from the flood of oxygen. The Sith stood still, his hand tight around his lightsaber, breath held and focus turned away from the two Jedi in his grasp as Yoda, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, hobbled into the hanger.

He watched him carefully, the diminutive Jedi stopping a fair distance away, his hands tightly grasping the top of his stick, his wide eyes narrowed in focus as he took the measure of the Sith before him. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," the Master rasped, his hands tightening. "A funny way, you have, of being dead."

Kenobi hissed and deactivated his weapon. A lightsaber would not help him here. Yoda didn't use a lightsaber. Yoda didn't need to. He raised his other hand and Anakin rose into the air, his body limp as he slipped into unconsciousness. "A lot of Jedi have died today, Yoda. Don't make me kill these two as well."

"If going to kill them, you were, than dead, they would be." Yoda pointed his stick at the Sith Lord. "Obi-Wan, you still are."

"Don't you dare try to lecture me, Jedi!" Kenobi snarled, his grip on the Jedi tightening hard, and Qui-Gon renewed his struggling, the unconscious Anakin twitching reflexively as his body was deprived of air. Yoda lowered his stick and took a few steps back, one hand in the air in an attempt to placate the Sith.

"Powerful, you have become, Obi-Wan." The Master frowned, his brow wrinkling as he stared at the Sith. "The Dark Side, I sense in you."

"Anyone can sense that. But even you couldn't sense it when it mattered!"

"Right, you are." The golden eyes widened, focusing on the ancient Master, his grip on the Jedi easing, and Qui-Gon gasped for breath. "Failed you, the Jedi have."

Dooku peaked out from the ship, and his eyes widened when he saw Yoda, the other two Jedi still alive, and Darth Lumis doing nothing to kill any of them. "Kenobi!" The younger man tensed, snarling viciously, but eyes not leaving Yoda. "We need to go now. The clone troopers are on the way."

"I can get us away safely, a clone cannot out-fly me."

"Lots of clones."

"...call in Grievous for air support. The Malevolence should be in orbit." Dooku nodded, ducking into the ship after giving Master Yoda a glare that was equal parts wary and vicious. Kenobi smiled brightly. "Time to go, Yoda."

Yoda dropped the stick as the engines of the ship powered up, his big eyes narrowed in focus, and his two hands extended before him, and Obi-Wan felt the weight of the Force around him. "Allow you to leave, I cannot," the Master rasped, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but laugh, the Dark Side roaring to life around him as he pushed back against the Jedi Master.

"But you will. You have to." He stepped forward, taking a lightsaber from the back of his belt and clipping it on to Qui-Gon's belt. Kenobi grinned when the struggling Master looked down at him, confused, hurt and betrayed. "Give that back to Quinlan, would you? Tell him he's going to need it when we meet." With a casual flick of his wrist, Obi-Wan sent Qui-Gon and Anakin flying out the hanger bay, the hard, steel floor dropping away to sand and stone far, far beneath them as they began to fall.

Yoda's eyes shot to the Jedi, and reached out to grab them with the Force, holding on to them tightly and bringing them back into the hanger. When they were on solid ground, their safety assured, Yoda turned to face the Sith, only to find the man had disappeared inside the ship, the entry hatch closed and sealed and the engines roaring as the thrusters were engaged. The three Jedi were right in the path of the solar sailor, and Yoda had to use the Force to pull Anakin and Qui-Gon out of the way, their bodies striking the far wall hard with the force of it, the speed necessary to clear them from the ship's path as the accelerator was slammed forward, and the Sith's ship raced out of the hanger as speeds much faster than could be considered safe.

They were gone, the talented pilot at the helm easily outmaneuvering the airborne clone transports and starships. With a heavy sigh, Yoda reached down and grabbed his stick, hobbling to the two Jedi he had saved. Qui-Gon held Anakin, the young Padawan unconscious and disfigured, and Yoda could sense the suffering Master tremble, his presence in the Force, once vibrant and bright, was dull and thin and wounded beyond repair.