Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Read online

  Count Dooku studied her calmly. “He has been convicted of espionage, Senator,” he said. “And he will be executed. In just a few hours, I believe.” He smiled gently, as if the thought pleased him.

  “He is an officer of the Republic!” Padmé said, outraged. “You can’t do that!”

  “We don’t recognize the Republic here, Senator,” the Count replied, and smiled again. “But…if Naboo were to join our Alliance—”

  So that was his game. She was Naboo’s official representative in galactic matters; in some ways, she had as much power as the Queen. If she committed Naboo to the Separatists, her planet and her Queen would be bound by her decision. She listened with half an ear to the Count’s smooth arguments, thinking, I can’t betray my planet and my principles, not even for Obi-Wan, not even for Anakin. She couldn’t see Anakin; he was standing behind her, and she was almost glad. She wasn’t sure she could bear to look at him right now. Oh, Anakin, I’m sorry I got you into this.

  Finally, she looked at the Count and said clearly, “I will not forsake all I have honored and worked for. I will not betray the Republic.”

  The Count sighed. “Then you will betray your Jedi friends? Without your cooperation, I can do nothing to stop their execution.”

  “And what about me?” Padmé asked, raising her chin.

  “There are individuals who have a strong interest in your demise, M’lady,” the Count said. “It has nothing to do with politics; it’s purely personal.”

  Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation, Padmé thought. Obi-Wan’s message said he was behind the assassination attempts. He hates me because I led the successful counterattack when he invaded Naboo ten years ago.

  “I’m sure they will push hard to have you included in the executions,” the Count continued. “Without your cooperation, I’ve done all I can for you.”

  The Count sat back in his chair, and the bounty hunter waved to the guards. “Take them away,” he said in a harsh voice.

  The Geonosian guards took them to separate holding cells, and Padmé had time to think. The more she thought, the more certain she became that they were going to die. The Jedi knew Obi-Wan was on Geonosis, but they couldn’t move without authorization from the Senate, and she had served in the Senate long enough to know that it would take days of debate before the Senators would agree to such a ticklish rescue mission. She didn’t think the Geonosians would wait that long.

  She was right. A few hours later, she and Anakin were brought to a large courtroom. The Archduke of Geonosis and his aide stood in the judge’s box; to one side, Padmé saw Count Dooku, along with several Senators who she knew supported the Separatists. Beside them stood representatives from most of the Commerce Guilds, the Trade Federation, and the Intergalactic Bank Clan.

  The Geonosians got right to the point. “You have been charged and found guilty of espionage,” said one, and before they could respond, the Archduke asked, “Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?”

  “You are committing an act of war, Archduke,” Padmé said. “I hope you are prepared for the consequences.”

  The Archduke laughed. “We build weapons, Senator; that is our business! Of course we’re prepared.” He waved at the guards. “Take them to the arena!”

  Padmé’s faint hope vanished. The guards dragged them out of the room and down to a dimly lit tunnel, where they were tied to the sides of a small, open cart. Miserably, Padmé looked across at Anakin. This is all my fault. I insisted on coming, and now I’ve gotten us both killed.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Anakin said earnestly. He seemed more worried about her than about himself.

  “I’m not afraid to die,” Padmé told him. She looked down. If ever there was a time for truth, this was it. She couldn’t lie to herself anymore, and she certainly couldn’t lie to Anakin, not even by keeping silent. “I’ve been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.”

  Anakin’s eyes widened, and he went very still. “What are you talking about?” he asked, as if he wasn’t quite sure of what he had just heard.

  Well, she would make it clear. “I love you,” she said.

  “You love me?” Anakin sounded as if he didn’t know whether to be outraged or elated. “I thought we decided not to fall in love. That we would be forced to live a lie. That it would destroy our lives—”

  Yes, we said all those things. But this turns out to be something that I can’t just decide rationally. “I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway,” she said. Groping for the right words, she went on slowly, “My love for you is a puzzle, Annie, for which I have no answers. I can’t control it—and now I don’t care.” She looked directly into his eyes, wishing she could touch him once more. But they were tied to opposite sides of the cart, and she couldn’t reach him. “I truly, deeply love you, and before we die I want you to know.”

  Anakin’s lips trembled. Slowly, hesitantly, he leaned forward. Padmé stretched toward him, and for the second time their lips met.

  And then the cart jerked forward, throwing them both off balance. As Padmé regained her feet, she heard the roar of a crowd, growing louder and nearer. A moment later, they came out of the tunnel into the execution arena.

  Obi-Wan leaned against the execution post in the center of the Geonosian arena and once more tested the chains that held his arms over his head. What were the Geonosians waiting for? They’d had him out here for half an hour already, and the crowd was getting restless. Not that Obi-Wan was in any particular hurry…

  The crowd roared, and Obi-Wan looked up. A small cart was pulling into the arena, and when he saw its passengers, Obi-Wan sighed and closed his eyes momentarily. I knew Anakin was going to do something else harebrained, I just knew it.

  But there was no point in scolding Anakin now, and from the look on his face, there was no need to. Obi-Wan waited while the Geonosians chained Anakin to the post next to him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Padmé slip something small into her mouth behind the guards’ backs just before they turned and chained her to the post beside Anakin.

  “I was beginning to wonder if you’d gotten my message,” Obi-Wan said as the guards started out of the arena.

  “I retransmitted it just as you requested, Master,” Anakin said earnestly. His neck muscles twitched, as if he was trying not to look at Padmé. “Then we decided to come and rescue you.”

  Obi-Wan glanced up at his chained hands. “Good job!”

  In the stands, he saw Nute Gunray and the other trade and commercial delegates crowding into a large luxury box with the Geonosian Archduke. Count Dooku was near the front, along with his bounty hunter bodyguard. As soon as the cart left the arena, the Archduke made a formal announcement that Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé were to be killed—as if anyone in the arena hadn’t known that—and then declared loudly, “Let the executions begin!”

  The crowd roared again, even more loudly than before, and three large gates opened on the far side of the arena. From the first gate came an enormous, broad-shouldered beast with great horns. A reek, Obi-Wan thought. Powerful, but stupid. Through the second gate came a gigantic catlike creature with long fangs—a nexu—and the third gate disgorged an acklay, which was a starfighter-sized lizard equipped with pincers large enough to chop a man in half. Behind each of the monsters came a horde of Geonosian picadors riding smaller beasts and carrying long spears.

  The picadors prodded the three monsters toward the center of the arena. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Anakin said.

  “Take the one on the right,” Obi-wan said, nodding at the reek. “I’ll take the one on the left.”

  “What about Padmé?” Anakin asked.

  Obi-Wan looked past Anakin and smiled slightly. Padmé had picked the lock on one of her restraints—So that’s what she was hiding from the guards! A lock pick!—and used the chain as a rope to climb to the top of her post. She was balanced there, alternately fiddling with the remaining
handcuff and pulling at the chain to loosen it from the pillar. “She seems to be on top of things,” Obi-Wan said dryly.

  Startled, Anakin glanced toward Padmé. Then he gave Obi-Wan a grin that held only a trace of the cockiness Obi-Wan remembered in his apprentice.

  What happened to him? Obi-Wan thought, and then the monsters charged.

  The acklay headed straight for Obi-Wan, its pincers open wide. Those things are nearsighted, Obi-Wan thought. If I time this right…Just before the acklay reached him, he dodged behind the post.

  The acklay continued its charge. Its pincer closed around the execution post, right where the Jedi should have been, and the post splintered. Obi-Wan yanked the restraining chain free and glanced quickly around.

  Anakin had jumped on the reek’s back and looped the chain that held him around one of the reek’s horns. The reek was shaking its head and straining against the chain; it wouldn’t take much longer to pull the restraints free. The nexu was trying to climb the pole to get at Padmé. As Obi-Wan watched, she swung down on the chain and struck it with both feet, knocking it back. Padmé can take care of herself—for a while.

  The acklay finished reducing the pole to splinters. Shaking its head, it peered around as if hunting for the tasty tidbit that it knew should have been in there somewhere. It saw Obi-Wan and started forward again.

  Obi-Wan ran for the edge of the arena, where the picadors with their long spears were grouped. Startled, one of the riding beasts reared. While the picador was busy trying to deal with his mount, Obi-Wan grabbed the end of his spear and jerked it out of his hands. Planting the far end, he let his momentum and the long spear carry him up and over the picador.

  Close behind him, the acklay slammed into the riding beast, knocking the picador off. The Geonosian screamed once before the acklay’s pincer closed around him. The other picadors scattered before the acklay’s charge, but they would be back soon enough. One thing at a time, Obi-Wan thought. The picador’s spear wasn’t much of a weapon, but it might be enough if he could hit the beast in the right place. He aimed and threw.

  The spear caught the acklay in the side of its neck. The acklay screeched, dropped the picador’s body, and charged. Well, that didn’t help much, Obi-Wan thought, ducking behind the dead picador’s riding beast.

  The acklay followed him, but more slowly than it had before. Obi-Wan kept ahead of it, but he couldn’t widen the gap between them. Then he saw the reek coming toward him—with Anakin and Padmé on its back, and the nexu bounding angrily after it. Anakin seemed to have found a way to steer the creature with the aid of the Force. Obi-Wan leaped up.

  He landed behind Padmé. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the nexu attack the wounded acklay. That’s two of them out of the way, for a while. If we can—

  Gates opened all around the arena, and droidekas rolled out. They circled the reek and uncoiled, activating their shields and bringing their powerful blasters to bear. The reek snorted and shook its head, turning in circles to avoid the Security Droids, but the droidekas were everywhere. We’re dead. Why haven’t they started firing?

  A sudden silence fell. Obi-Wan looked up at the crowd and his eyes widened. All over the arena, blue and green lightsabers flared. There must be at least a hundred Jedi up there! He glanced toward the archducal box and his jaw dropped. At this distance, he couldn’t make out the features of the man in the Jedi robes standing next to Count Dooku—but he didn’t have to. Only one Jedi carried a purple lightsaber. Master Windu!

  As the reek carrying Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan bounded past the archducal box, Count Dooku suppressed a smile. They were certainly an inventive group, but their tricks would make no difference in the long run.

  Beside him, Viceroy Nute Gunray turned angrily. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be! Jango, finish her off!”

  Dooku motioned for Fett to stay where he was. Really, the Neimoidian was almost as entertaining as the Jedi. “Patience, Viceroy,” Dooku said to Nute with a slight smile. “She will die.”

  The Viceroy snorted and turned back to the arena. Amusing as it was to watch his frustration, it was time to end things. Dooku signaled surreptitiously, and his hidden droidekas poured from gates all around the arena. The crowd cheered and Nute Gunray sat back in satisfaction, but Dooku sensed only a feeling of chagrin from behind them where Jango Fett was standing. He turned to see what his bodyguard had noticed.

  Mace Windu stood next to Jango, his lightsaber glowing a clear purple. The noise of the crowd must have covered the sound when he ignited it, Dooku thought. He hid his surprise with an elegant nod of welcome. “Master Windu, how pleasant of you to join us. You’re just in time for the moment of truth.” He gestured at the arena. “I think these two new boys of yours could use a little more training.”

  Master Windu’s grim expression did not change. “Sorry to disappoint you, Dooku,” he said in a low, hard voice. “This party is over.” He gestured, and all around the arena, lightsabers blazed to life.

  Dooku curled his lips in a combination of amusement and pleasure. This is going even better than I had hoped. There are over a hundred Jedi out there, plus Master Windu; we will kill them all. “Brave, but foolish, my old Jedi friend,” he said gently to Mace. “You’re impossibly outnumbered.”

  “I don’t think so,” Master Windu snapped. “The Geonosians aren’t warriors. One Jedi has to be worth a hundred Geonosians.”

  “It wasn’t the Geonosians I was thinking about,” Dooku said, allowing his smile to grow. “How well do you think one Jedi will hold up against a thousand Battle Droids?”

  Even as he spoke, the first of the new Super Battle Droids appeared in the corridor behind Mace Windu. They began firing immediately. Master Windu deflected the blasts easily, but to do so, he had to take his attention from the others in the archducal box. Immediately, Jango Fett raised his flamethrower and fired.

  Master Windu dodged, but the flames caught the edge of his robe and set it on fire. As more Battle Droids flooded into the arena, he jumped over the wall to the sand below. Count Dooku shook his head at such stubborn foolishness and settled back to enjoy the mayhem. Yes, this will be very interesting indeed.

  For a moment, seeing Master Windu, Obi-Wan felt relieved; then Battle Droids began pouring into the arena from all directions. The Geonosians fled as energy bolts began to fly. So many droids! Can we—

  The reek bucked, and Obi-Wan went flying. He landed rolling and dodged an energy bolt. The droidekas were firing. He couldn’t dodge all of them for very long. He needed a lightsaber.

  As if in answer to his thoughts, a lightsaber came flying toward him. He caught it and activated it in one smooth movement, saluted the Jedi who’d tossed it to him, and deflected four energy bolts back toward Battle Droids. Anakin had a lightsaber now, too, he saw, and Padmé had found a blaster somewhere.

  The fight was the worst Obi-Wan had ever been through. It was far worse than Naboo had been. The Battle Droids kept coming and coming, endlessly. No matter how many they destroyed, there were always more. At one point, he found himself back-to-back with Mace Windu. They seemed to be making progress—and then Jango Fett rocketed down to join the fight. Mace went after the bounty hunter, and Obi-Wan was on his own again.

  There are too many of them! Obi-Wan lost count of the droids he had destroyed. He could feel Jedi dying around him, overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The sand of the arena was soaked with blood and littered with droid parts, and more Battle Droids were still coming. The three execution-monsters were dead—Obi-Wan vaguely remembered killing the acklay himself—but that hardly seemed to matter.

  Suddenly the droids stopped firing. Obi-Wan lowered his tired arms and looked around. Mace Windu, Padmé, Anakin, and about twenty Jedi stood in the center of the arena, surrounded by Battle Droids. Only twenty! he thought in shock. There must have been at least a hundred lightsabers shining in the arena when he’d first looked up and seen them. The other Jedi must all be dead.

 
“Master Windu!” Count Dooku’s voice rang through the arena. “You have fought gallantly. You are worthy of recognition in the history archives of the Jedi Order. Now it is finished.” He paused, then went on. “Surrender—and your lives will be spared.”

  “We will not be hostages for you to barter with, Dooku.” Mace Windu’s deep voice was firm, though he had to know what Dooku’s reaction would be.

  “Then I’m sorry, old friend,” Count Dooku said. “You will have to be destroyed.” He raised his hand, and the Battle Droids raised their weapons.

  “Look!” Padmé shouted. Obi-Wan glanced quickly around, confused; he saw nothing but Battle Droids. Then he realized that Padmé was pointing upward. He tilted his head back and saw six gunships drop through the open air above the arena.

  The gunships landed in a ring between the tiny circle of Jedi and the Geonosian Battle Droids. The arena filled with harsh white light as the thousands of Battle Droids and Super Battle Droids fired their lasers—and the bolts bounced off the shields of the gunships. Obi-Wan stared in disbelief and wonder. Who are they? Where did they come from?

  And then troops in white body armor came pouring out of the ships, and he knew. The clone army! But how…? The clone troopers poured rapid, deadly fire on the droids, forcing them back.

  Master Yoda appeared in the doorway of one of the gunships and motioned to the stunned Jedi. “Hurry!” he called.

  Everyone raced to the gunships. As he boarded the nearest ship, Obi-Wan glanced up at the archducal box. It was empty. He looked down and saw the clone boy, Jango Fett’s son, near one wall. The boy was kneeling beside the battered helmet his father had worn. So Master Windu disposed of the bounty hunter, Obi-Wan thought. He felt sorry for the boy and wondered what would become of him, but there was nothing he could do now.

  We’re not finished with this yet, he thought as the gunships rose out of the arena. There are still all those Trade Federation Core Ships in the landing area.