Chapter Twenty Two: The Board Is Set
In which Obi-Wan heads over to the Chancellor's office to stop Mace Windu, and Padme and Artoo duel Dooku and Grievous for the last time.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Yes, that is a LORD OF THE RINGS reference in that chapter title. *Is a bit of a geek. XD*
It was much later in terms of heading towards the hangar bay that he came across Master Shaak Ti. The Togruta Jedi Master turned to look towards him if only with what seemed like confusion. “Master Kenobi,” she said, “Where are you going?”
“I have to get to Five Hundred Republica.”
“Master Windu and the others are more than capable. I wouldn’t fear.”
“It’s not Master Windu’s safety I fear for,” Obi-Wan said, “Not the physical kind, at least.”
Master Ti merely raised an eyebrow, but Obi-Wan could see so much in the Togruta Jedi Master’s face. Probably too much. “You believe that Master Windu may...” She trailed off, almost as if thinking about it was, to say the least, unthinkable.
“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan said, “But I am worried. I...I think we all know how devoted he is to the Republic. I fear that Sidious may be preying on it if only to manipulate him further. To manipulate us further.”
“Then you should perhaps stay behind,” Master Ti said. “If Sidious is as skilled in the art of manipulation as you claim...who is to say that you won’t fall as well?”
Even that statement was enough to hurt. Obi-Wan could still remember his visions, about the hooded man, about Sidious and Sabe and Padmè and so much more, and he could not help but wonder if this trap was as much for him as it was for Windu.
“I know,” Obi-Wan said, “But if I can find a way to reverse the trap...I will.”
“You don’t know that,” Master Ti said, “I doubt even I can see the fate of the Jedi Order, in this moment. Or Master Windu.”
“I know. But it is the least I can do.” A pause. “Can you give me the codes?”
“Of course.”
It was long after Master Ti had given him the codes to unlock the appropriate speeder to get to Five Hundred Republica that she looked at him. “Master Kenobi, are you sure you will return alive?”
“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan said, “But if anything goes wrong, put the Jedi Temple on lockdown immediately. It’s the best we can all do.”
Master Ti nodded.
“May the Force be with you, Master Ti.” It was the least Obi-Wan could say in this moment, because something in him wondered if he would ever see the Togruta Jedi Master again. The Jedi Master that had taught him so much, in a way. The Jedi Master that, besides Mace, Yoda and Qui Gon, he had looked up to tremendously.
Travis was wrong about what he had said about the Order. More than wrong. Because for all the Order’s faults, they were a fine group, a group of wonderful men and women ready to give their lives for the Republic. And they were worth fighting for.
Travis knew nothing about the Order. And that was why he failed.
Master Ti didn’t smile, but there was a sort of softening in her eyes. “May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi.”
Obi-Wan smiled, before turning back to the controls of the speeder and activating them. And he headed off towards Five Hundred Republica, and towards either certain victory, or certain doom.
Something told him that it would be the latter.
Obi-Wan shook his head, almost as if to clear that thought.
Fear was the path to the Dark Side. And more than that, it would lead to the Dark Side faster than any wrong decision ever would. He could not afford to give into fear. He would not give into fear.
***
Padmè had to remind herself that there was nothing to fear, even facing Grievous and Dooku. In truth, she knew that there was plenty to fear, if only because she was now at the very end of Mustafar, fighting amongst raging lava, fighting against two of the most prolific Jedi killers and the most feared of the Separatist leaders at the same time. And yet at the same time, she could not help but feel afraid. If anything, she had a feeling that whatever happened, she would not return from this alive.
At least, perhaps not the same as before.
She had dreamed about facing Grievous and Dooku before. She could not say that the outcomes of her dreams were pleasant. Then again, she doubted that any of the outcomes of her dreams were truly pleasant.
Still, she had to be strong. She was a Jedi, after all. She could not afford to give into fear.
“General Grievous, Count Dooku,” she said, slowly. “I will not ask you again. I don’t wish to go through with this. But I will have to tell you once again: you can choose to come with me back to Coruscant, or I’ll have to take drastic action.”
Silence.
“I am sorry, Knight Naberrie,” Dooku said, “But I believe that we may have to decline your offer.”
I should have supposed that would happen. “Then what happens next is your own doing,” Padmè said. She turned to look at Artoo. “Ready, Artoo?”
The astromech beeped.
Padmè turned to look at Grievous and Dooku. “Let us begin then.”
The duel between Grievous, her, Dooku and Artoo was, if anything, more than complicated. A lot of leaping from platform to platform, if only to avoid being skewered. If anything, Padmè knew that being skewered was the last thing she would want. Artoo, of course, had been modified by Padmè over the years in order to keep flying. Flying was definitely good, Padmè thought. Especially when one was in a situation like this, where thinking on one’s feet was necessary.
Even Grievous, though, couldn’t keep up forever. In between blasts from Artoo’s flamethrower and so forth, he seemed to be staggering now. Staggering and almost vulnerable. Padmè froze for a moment, unable to tear herself away. Then she spoke. “General Grievous,” she said, “You can stop. Just come with me and we can end this.”
“No. Never.”
Padmè sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said, and the duel resumed.
In between dodging Dooku’s slices and dices and so much more, Padmè aimed if only to incapacitate Grievous - she had no desire to kill. There had been enough killing over the course of this entire war. The same with Dooku. And yet at the same time, she hadn’t expected, in a way, to hit the precise spot in his armor where Mace Windu had Force Crushed him before.
The Kaleesh general’s rage was almost instantaneous. He sprung upon her, but Padmè rolled out of the way in time, before managing to slice through his knees. He fell to the ground now.
It was only then that Padmè was distracted by Dooku springing towards her. Even now, fighting him, Padmè could still remember Geonosis all too well. Far too well. Dueling him. Even thinking about it, thinking about the lives of the Republic citizens at stake, was enough to scare her. And thus she kept fighting - any semblance of control was a joke at this point. There were too many lives at stake.
And yet she kept trying to tell herself the same thing, again and again. There is no emotion, there is peace.
Slammed to the ground by a Force Wave from Dooku - it was only reaching through the Force just in time that she didn’t end up careening into the lava. She got up now, before rejoining the duel, rejoining the same dance they were close to perfecting. Silver. Red. Silver. Red. Silver. Red. The same dance, if only a variation on it, that the Jedi and the Sith had been perfecting if only for years and years. It wasn’t just what they did, some would have said. It was who they were.
And yet at the same time, Padmè couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way to save Dooku and Grievous both. To just avert more needless deaths, just this once...
It was then that Dooku’s lightsaber snagged with her own once again. The two almost tangled lightsabers struggled before, finally, Padmè’s slipped -
-- and cut off Dooku’s left hand.
Dooku’s lightsaber soared into her hand. Padmè stood over Dooku, looking at him, looking at the man who was responsible for so much suffering. Who had tried to kill Sabe. Who had assisted in Ahsoka Tano’s death. Who had done so many terrible things that she doubted that she could count them. And yet at the same time, she couldn’t just kill him. If she killed him, would she be any better than him?
Don’t be absurd, a part of her said. He’s killed multiple innocent people.
And would I be any better if I killed him?
Dooku looked up at her now, completely calm. “Go on, Knight Naberrie,” he said, “Kill me. If you must. It’s only right.”
Padmè’s hands trembled. Then, slowly, she deactivated both lightsabers. “Dooku,” she said, “Come with me. It doesn’t have to end like this. You can make amends.”
Silence.
Then Dooku shook his head. “I am sorry, Knight Naberrie,” he said, “But I am afraid that it’s not over.”
***
The dejarik board was already set.
The pieces were already moving.
Sidious had missed the feeling of a lightsaber in his hand. At least, he had missed the idea of killing Jedi. Manipulation was all well and good, but the thrill of Jedi falling to his blade, the thrill of those corrupt, self righteous, insufferable creatures dying...that was perhaps the best reward of all. Giving them the deaths they so deserved. They had brought nothing but harm to the galaxy; the fact that he had managed to sit through their self righteous, hypocritical drivel, watching the Clone Wars he had set up reveal them as the rotten creatures they truly were...one could say that he deserved the Republic Cross of Glory if only for that.
At least now he could get the chance to kill them, and then incriminate them, expose them as the monsters they truly were. It was only right, after all.
He wouldn’t exactly call it framing. If anything else, he would have called it a test of character. A test that they were almost certainly going to lose.
The Jedi entered. Mace Windu was at the front, of course, Saesee Tiin, Agen Kolar, and Kit Fisto behind him. The recording device was in place. Master Windu must have assumed that he couldn’t take Sidious himself on his own - quite pitiful, really. Sidious had expected better from one of the most accomplished duelists of all time - because he had brought backup, all the better to incriminate them when evidence was placed before the Senate. In a way, Sidious mused, he didn’t have to set up this “secret test of character” for them. They were all but doing his job for him.
Still, he supposed the best he could do was keep running with his role, as he usually did. Play it to the hilt. And when the Senate had no choice but to put his new form of government into place, to outlaw the Jedi, to establish Sith rule over the galaxy, one could say his task was done. Plagueis’ work would be done. The next step would, naturally, to be enforcing order in the galaxy, and hunting down all traitors to that order. But then again, Sidious doubted that would be difficult.
And besides, it was his duty, after all.
“Why Master Windu,” Sidious said, “What a pleasant surprise.”
***
Now that the metaphorical dust had settled, Padmè could take a look at Dooku’s prone, wounded form on the ground. She knelt next to him, suddenly very exhausted, and very tired, and very worn. She had expected taking Dooku and Grievous into custody. She had expected, at least, to be happy that, in a sense, the Clone Wars had come to an end. And yet even here, kneeling next to Dooku, she felt none of that. If anything, she felt empty. Worse than empty - she never wanted it to end this way. And yet here it had happened. Dooku was dying.
“Dooku,” she said, “It’s all right. Just...come back to Coruscant with me. I can save you. You and the General both.”
“I’m afraid you can’t. Not this time, at least. We have had the best of times, so to speak, but like all good things, it has to end. Simply know this, Knight Naberrie - the Clone Wars are far from over.”
Padmè bit her lip. “You kept saying that the Sith Lord Darth Sidious is controlling the Senate. We’ve been searching everywhere, but with no luck. Can you...can you tell me who he is?”
“I’m afraid that you already know.”
“Knowing is one thing. Actually knowing is another. Please,” Padmè said, “Tell me. Just for the Republic’s sake. It can be your final act of redemption. Just...trust me, Count.”
“Redemption? You believe that I want that?”
“Perhaps not necessarily,” Padmè said, “But at least to help the Republic. You only wanted to help the Republic, didn’t you?”
A pause.
“I suppose I did. Saving a Republic that wasn’t worth saving...a foolish endeavor of me.”
“Don’t say that. The Republic is still worth saving. Even if the infrastructure is crumbling, its ideals, its people...” Padmè broke off, if only for a moment. “They’re still worth fighting for, Count. Aren’t they?”
“Optimistic as ever. But yes, I suppose.”
A pause.
“The identity of the Sith Lord is something you may need to discover on your own, Knight Naberrie,” Dooku said. “After all, it’s been under your nose the entire time. You simply didn’t want to acknowledge it because the truth was too terrible.”
“You’re not being specific.”
“It’s for a reason. But should you get back to Master Yoda...tell him this.” Dooku’s breath seemed to hitch now, and the pain he was in was more obvious. “Tell him...that Order 66...has begun.”
Padmè bit her lip. “I will, Count. I will.”
It was the least she could do.
Even later, long after she had finished setting up a burial mound for Grievous and Dooku’s bodies, Padmè could only sit beside Artoo, thinking. Order 66...
It was best to at least inform Master Yoda, at the very least. It was in this moment that she then typed the message to Master Yoda.
MASTER YODA,
I HAVE DEFEATED COUNT DOOKU AND GENERAL GRIEVOUS. DOOKU WANTED ME TO TELL YOU SOMETHING BEFORE HE DIED. ORDER 66 HAS BEGUN. WHATEVER IT MEANS, WE SHOULD BE READY.
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.
KNIGHT PADMÈ NABERRIE.
Padmè clicked the necessary button to send the message before leaning against the rock formations and sighing. Perhaps she had failed to save Dooku and Grievous both, but at the very least, she could make some degree of amends for it if only to help save the Republic. Dooku wasn’t out for power, after all; he was out to save the Republic he so adored.
Padmè at least could let him die happy with the thought of Sidious being defeated. And better - try and stop Sidious, whoever he was. She didn’t know who Sidious was - and if the truth was so terrible, who would Sidious be to make that the case? - but at least she could honor Dooku’s last request.
It was only right, after all.