Murder the Dawn: Chapter Twenty Six: Big Damn Heroes
In which Anakin makes his entry.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Hope this chapter doesn't come off as too anticlimactic. I'll admit, this is one of the chapters I'm not quite as proud of, TBH. #Cannot write a climax to save her life. XD
“There! Straight ahead!”
Even now, leaning forward, Anakin could see the faint silhouettes of Dooku and Obi-Wan dueling. Something in his chest clenched -- there was something about the fight that terrified him. If anything, it was obvious that Obi-Wan was now losing. Dooku was going to kill him.
And that he couldn’t accept.
“Master Windu --’’ Anakin began, but Master Windu didn’t need to be told. He turned to the clone leader of the ship. “Into the hangar. Quickly.”
And they obeyed.
Anakin, meanwhile, didn’t wait for an order. He sprinted into the hangar, leapt forward, just managing to block the killing blow from Dooku. Even now, looking up at him, Obi-Wan looked almost...relieved. And irritated at the same time.
“You took your time,” the Jedi Master said, almost grumpily.
“I know, Master,” Anakin said, “And I’m sorry.” He sighed. “I couldn’t leave Satine behind. She...I couldn’t leave a friend behind.”
Or your potential future...
Even now, he wasn’t certain whether or not Satine and Obi-Wan would get married. Even so, though, he hoped so, once the battle -- and impending war -- was over. Because if anything, it felt...only right.
“How touching,” Count Dooku’s voice had just enough sickly sweet sarcasm to make Anakin have the urge to just...wipe that smug maalras smile off his face. “Do tell me the Jedi Council will give you medals for your would-be heroism.”
“I’m not expecting medals, Count. I only do what I must.”
“Really, now? Come, boy -- your master has proven a bit of a disappointment. Let us see if you can do better.”
Even now, as the two of them dueled, green blade against red blade, Anakin kept reminding himself to focus, trying to block the strikes from Dooku’s blade. Focus, focus. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no death, there is the Force.
Even now, reciting the words in his mind over and over, he managed to somewhat calm his nerves and meet Dooku’s strikes. He couldn’t afford to be angry. He was a Jedi, after all.
And if he got angry...what kind of Jedi would he be?
“I sense great fear in you, young Skywalker.” Dooku continued to maintain that same, almost infuriating sense of smugness. “You have hate, you have anger -- but you don’t use them.”
Don’t let him provoke you. Don’t let him provoke you. There is no passion, there is serenity...
But even as the fight wore on, Anakin continued to get tired. No, worse than tired -- profoundly irritated. Dooku was determined -- Anakin had to give him that. But even Dooku’s stamina couldn’t wear on forever.
One drawback to Makashi was that it couldn’t deflect blaster bolts very well. So even as a blaster bolt stung Dooku’s shoulder, the Count --
-- Anakin felt the Count’s lightsaber cleave through his left hand before he could so much as even blink. Pain, searing pain, agony -- he could hear himself screaming, but it sounded so odd, almost disembodied, as if the scream was being made by someone else.
Dooku stood above him, his smugness replaced with an almost tranquil anger -- and even a bit of sadness as he spoke. “You know full well that you are beaten, Skywalker,” he said. “Surrender -- or I’ll be forced to destroy you.”
“Never.” Force, his lightsaber was just lying out of reach; he just needed to grab it -- call it to him with the Force --
“Enough.”
Mace Windu’s voice, hard and cold and sharp, almost like the edge of a vibroblade.
“Surrender, Dooku,” Mace said, “I never wanted it to come to this.”
“Master Windu, old friend.” Dooku’s old pleasantness -- of course, the term was to be used loosely -- returned to his face, to his voice. “You as well? I never wanted it to come to this.”
“Neither do I. But I will fight you if I must.”
“Very well, Master Windu. I would have preferred to not resort to violence, but you leave me no choice.”
Anakin, meanwhile, saw Obi-Wan stagger to his feet, with difficulty, before going to meet Dooku along with Master Windu. Even lying there, he hated being helpless, and yet --
He had to do something. But what?
And then, slowly, he made his way to his feet. He didn’t know how much help he’d be in terms of having a severed limb, but even so...
He called his lightsaber to his still-remaining hand and joined the fray. Everyone now joined the fray in some form or another, anything to keep Dooku from escaping --
Until Anakin found himself, along with everyone else, battered by a Force wave. It was now, lying on the ground again, stunned, dizzy, pained, that he saw Dooku run away. Chagrined, he could only turn towards Obi-Wan, almost blearily. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. For my part.”
Even now, as Obi-Wan pulled him to his feet, as he and Satine greeted one another -- there was something about how Satine hugged him quickly before running a hand gently over his face that made Anakin wonder, but he stuffed it down as quickly as it came. He only hoped that Padme was all right -- and perhaps he could return the favor.
***
It was outside the arena that Padme saw the creature. Weary. Exhausted from the battle of the day. Even now, something in her suggested to let the creature go - he had seen enough of battle for the day. And yet at the same time, something else in her, the more Sithly part of her, suggested that keeping the creature around was a wise idea. After all, the reek could come in useful.
“Do you have a name?” she asked, softly. She opened her mind to the creature, letting him know - if it was a he - that she meant him no harm.
The reek gently snorted, shaking his great head almost as if saying, No. I don’t have a name.
“All right.” Even now, thinking of names, Padme could not help but think of one that would fit the creature far too well. Paxis. Peace. Something that she had hoped that Dooku would bring - but he didn’t. He had tortured Anakin - the Jedi Knight she had met. There was something about him that was so vulnerable, so afraid, that she could not help but reach out to him.
She only hoped that he would be all right. For now, she would have to go undercover. Go underground. Dooku and Sidious would not take the news of her treachery well.
“I thought of a name for you,” she said to the reek, gently petting its snout. “Paxis. What do you think?”
The reek snuffled a bit now, gently nudging her hand.
“You like it then?”
Another snuffle.
“Very well. Come, Paxis,” Padme said, softer now. “You need rest.”
Even now, bathing the blaster bolt wounds, resting beside the reek, Padme, somehow, could not bring herself to rest. They were out of danger, by the ship in the hangar, and yet, even now…
Morning came. The Sith had gone. And now, Padme and Paxis were alone. And yet the dream still lingered in her mind. The dream of Mandalore. The dream of Sidious, using the marriage of a Jedi Knight and a Duchess to rend the galaxy asunder.
Marriage…?
Padme was told that the Jedi were not allowed to love. And Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze, of all people…?
The best she could do was locate Sidious and Dooku, locate the Separatists’ war efforts. Try and sabotage them as much as she could.
They would not ruin the galaxy. She would die before it happened.
And that was a fact.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Hope this chapter doesn't come off as too anticlimactic. I'll admit, this is one of the chapters I'm not quite as proud of, TBH. #Cannot write a climax to save her life. XD
“There! Straight ahead!”
Even now, leaning forward, Anakin could see the faint silhouettes of Dooku and Obi-Wan dueling. Something in his chest clenched -- there was something about the fight that terrified him. If anything, it was obvious that Obi-Wan was now losing. Dooku was going to kill him.
And that he couldn’t accept.
“Master Windu --’’ Anakin began, but Master Windu didn’t need to be told. He turned to the clone leader of the ship. “Into the hangar. Quickly.”
And they obeyed.
Anakin, meanwhile, didn’t wait for an order. He sprinted into the hangar, leapt forward, just managing to block the killing blow from Dooku. Even now, looking up at him, Obi-Wan looked almost...relieved. And irritated at the same time.
“You took your time,” the Jedi Master said, almost grumpily.
“I know, Master,” Anakin said, “And I’m sorry.” He sighed. “I couldn’t leave Satine behind. She...I couldn’t leave a friend behind.”
Or your potential future...
Even now, he wasn’t certain whether or not Satine and Obi-Wan would get married. Even so, though, he hoped so, once the battle -- and impending war -- was over. Because if anything, it felt...only right.
“How touching,” Count Dooku’s voice had just enough sickly sweet sarcasm to make Anakin have the urge to just...wipe that smug maalras smile off his face. “Do tell me the Jedi Council will give you medals for your would-be heroism.”
“I’m not expecting medals, Count. I only do what I must.”
“Really, now? Come, boy -- your master has proven a bit of a disappointment. Let us see if you can do better.”
Even now, as the two of them dueled, green blade against red blade, Anakin kept reminding himself to focus, trying to block the strikes from Dooku’s blade. Focus, focus. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no death, there is the Force.
Even now, reciting the words in his mind over and over, he managed to somewhat calm his nerves and meet Dooku’s strikes. He couldn’t afford to be angry. He was a Jedi, after all.
And if he got angry...what kind of Jedi would he be?
“I sense great fear in you, young Skywalker.” Dooku continued to maintain that same, almost infuriating sense of smugness. “You have hate, you have anger -- but you don’t use them.”
Don’t let him provoke you. Don’t let him provoke you. There is no passion, there is serenity...
But even as the fight wore on, Anakin continued to get tired. No, worse than tired -- profoundly irritated. Dooku was determined -- Anakin had to give him that. But even Dooku’s stamina couldn’t wear on forever.
One drawback to Makashi was that it couldn’t deflect blaster bolts very well. So even as a blaster bolt stung Dooku’s shoulder, the Count --
-- Anakin felt the Count’s lightsaber cleave through his left hand before he could so much as even blink. Pain, searing pain, agony -- he could hear himself screaming, but it sounded so odd, almost disembodied, as if the scream was being made by someone else.
Dooku stood above him, his smugness replaced with an almost tranquil anger -- and even a bit of sadness as he spoke. “You know full well that you are beaten, Skywalker,” he said. “Surrender -- or I’ll be forced to destroy you.”
“Never.” Force, his lightsaber was just lying out of reach; he just needed to grab it -- call it to him with the Force --
“Enough.”
Mace Windu’s voice, hard and cold and sharp, almost like the edge of a vibroblade.
“Surrender, Dooku,” Mace said, “I never wanted it to come to this.”
“Master Windu, old friend.” Dooku’s old pleasantness -- of course, the term was to be used loosely -- returned to his face, to his voice. “You as well? I never wanted it to come to this.”
“Neither do I. But I will fight you if I must.”
“Very well, Master Windu. I would have preferred to not resort to violence, but you leave me no choice.”
Anakin, meanwhile, saw Obi-Wan stagger to his feet, with difficulty, before going to meet Dooku along with Master Windu. Even lying there, he hated being helpless, and yet --
He had to do something. But what?
And then, slowly, he made his way to his feet. He didn’t know how much help he’d be in terms of having a severed limb, but even so...
He called his lightsaber to his still-remaining hand and joined the fray. Everyone now joined the fray in some form or another, anything to keep Dooku from escaping --
Until Anakin found himself, along with everyone else, battered by a Force wave. It was now, lying on the ground again, stunned, dizzy, pained, that he saw Dooku run away. Chagrined, he could only turn towards Obi-Wan, almost blearily. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. For my part.”
Even now, as Obi-Wan pulled him to his feet, as he and Satine greeted one another -- there was something about how Satine hugged him quickly before running a hand gently over his face that made Anakin wonder, but he stuffed it down as quickly as it came. He only hoped that Padme was all right -- and perhaps he could return the favor.
***
It was outside the arena that Padme saw the creature. Weary. Exhausted from the battle of the day. Even now, something in her suggested to let the creature go - he had seen enough of battle for the day. And yet at the same time, something else in her, the more Sithly part of her, suggested that keeping the creature around was a wise idea. After all, the reek could come in useful.
“Do you have a name?” she asked, softly. She opened her mind to the creature, letting him know - if it was a he - that she meant him no harm.
The reek gently snorted, shaking his great head almost as if saying, No. I don’t have a name.
“All right.” Even now, thinking of names, Padme could not help but think of one that would fit the creature far too well. Paxis. Peace. Something that she had hoped that Dooku would bring - but he didn’t. He had tortured Anakin - the Jedi Knight she had met. There was something about him that was so vulnerable, so afraid, that she could not help but reach out to him.
She only hoped that he would be all right. For now, she would have to go undercover. Go underground. Dooku and Sidious would not take the news of her treachery well.
“I thought of a name for you,” she said to the reek, gently petting its snout. “Paxis. What do you think?”
The reek snuffled a bit now, gently nudging her hand.
“You like it then?”
Another snuffle.
“Very well. Come, Paxis,” Padme said, softer now. “You need rest.”
Even now, bathing the blaster bolt wounds, resting beside the reek, Padme, somehow, could not bring herself to rest. They were out of danger, by the ship in the hangar, and yet, even now…
Morning came. The Sith had gone. And now, Padme and Paxis were alone. And yet the dream still lingered in her mind. The dream of Mandalore. The dream of Sidious, using the marriage of a Jedi Knight and a Duchess to rend the galaxy asunder.
Marriage…?
Padme was told that the Jedi were not allowed to love. And Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze, of all people…?
The best she could do was locate Sidious and Dooku, locate the Separatists’ war efforts. Try and sabotage them as much as she could.
They would not ruin the galaxy. She would die before it happened.
And that was a fact.