Chapter Thirty-Three
Genevieve
I watch as the citizens of the capital wait in a single file line towards the transport ships. All the other major cities have been evacuated, all of the citizens currently traveling to Naboo. Queen Jamilla's provided ships and guards have certainly been helpful in the execution of this plan. I really owe her.
Assisting us escort the citizens to safety are not only my own guards and soldiers, but the 411th unit, a group of clones who have been assigned to help me and keep me safe. The leader of these clones is Commander Dawn, who was given his name because he would arise at the break of dawn every morning as a trainee. He is a very respectful, dedicated, loyal man just as the rest of the clones are. The only thing that gives me pause is their faces. They bear the faces of my father's killer; Jango Fett. Obi Wan found out that Jango Fett was the man the Kaminoans cloned to make the republic army. No one knows who hired him, but Obi Wan suspects it was Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas.
I don't know if I believe that. Why would a Jedi hire a bounty hunter to be the genetic code of the clone army?
Clones have now completely filled the capital, being ordered to different positions and buildings by Obi Wan, who stands several feet away from me, talking to his clone commander; Cody. Obi Wan sneaks a glance my way, but I quickly look away, trying to focus on the task at hand. I can't afford to get distracted right now and I know he can't either. I approach Commander Dawn, who was just showing the way to the next available transport to a small family of three.
"Are these the last of the citizens?"
"There are some houses towards the edge of the capital that haven't been evacuated yet, but I just sent men there."
"Do we have enough transports for the remaining citizens?"
He nods. "Yes, your majesty. The rest of the citizens will fit in three transports and the final two will be used to transport you and the 411th."
I smile at him, trying to convey to him my true gratitude. "I can't thank you enough for your help, as well as your men's help. I am very glad you will be accompanying us to Naboo, it will make my people feel much safer."
I don't think anyone has shown him such sentiments, this is shown in the awe filled expression on his face. He smiles at me though, bowing his head to me. "Of course, your majesty. We're just doing our duty."
I glance back at Obi Wan, catching his gaze. He had already been staring at me. Feeling a blush form on my cheeks, I nod my head to Commander Dawn, making my way over towards Obi Wan. Commander Cody excuses himself and walks towards his men, leaving Obi Wan and I alone.
"The last of the citizens are being brought to the transports, we will be leaving shortly," I tell him, looking around at the city surrounding me, at the beautiful buildings and houses that will soon be blown to bits from battle droids. "I hate having to leave here. Part of me feels like if I stay, then maybe I can hold everything together; I can keep the cities from being destroyed, keep my people from being killed. I know it's foolish."
Obi Wan shakes his head, a warm smile forming on his face. "Its not foolish to want to protect your planet. I will do everything in my power to keep Taris intact, you have my word."
I reach forward and grab onto his hand, focusing on his face. I try to take in every detail of him, commit his image to memory. My heart worries for my planet and my people, but I am just as much worried about him. Obi Wan squeezes my hand, his voice soft and low as he says; "Goodbye for now, my queen."
He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses it gently, sending goosebumps up my arm. As he drops my hand, I feel like my whole body is humming with electricity, making it very difficult to form a coherent sentence, but I try my best. "Goodbye, General." I say to him, before turning back towards the last of my citizens boarding the transports, my feelings of fear still present despite the glowing feeling of my heart.
-
Obi Wan
I'm glad Genevieve isn't here to see this. In the skies, Republic battle cruisers are sending blasts to the Separatist ships, the glow of their red blasts making the sky glow crimson. Separatist gun ships fly through the skies, dropping heavy canon fire on the buildings in the capital, making the screams of clones fill the air. Republic starfighters are chasing after the gun ships, the sounds of their blasts ringing in my ears. Tanks are rolling across the ground alongside the clones, shooting at the droid army flooding through the capital. I positioned clones inside every building and along every wall, so they are pretty well covered, but nothing can protect them from the armored assault tanks that roll out behind the droids.
This is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The chaos war is capable of creating is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The force feels so out of balanced, more than it ever has before.
An assault tank sends a blast towards one of our tanks, making it explode and send ten clones flying to the ground. Droid blasts fly past all of us like leaves in the wind, taking out our troopers one by one. But these men are strong, they're hardly going down without a fight. As our men are shot down, so are the droids, the clanking of their metal hitting the ground audible despite the battle. But since the droids falling are audible, as are the screams of the clones as they die painful deaths. Our losses are a hundred times worse than theirs. Sure we could create more clones just like the Separatists can create more droids, but these are good men who are losing their lives, not machines.
This battle is not what I need to be focusing on. General Grevious is on this planet, I know he is leading this invasion. He will be looking for Genevieve. If I capture him, then this invasion will be over. The first place I should look for him is in the palace, because he doesn't seem to be anywhere on the battlefield.
"Cody! I am going to go search for General Grevious in the palace! Press on the attack, tell the boys in the skies to focus their attention on the assault tanks, they're cutting through us like glass!"
Cody shoots down another droid from right next to me, nodding to me. "Yes, General!" He yells back before refocusing on the battle.
I run around the other side of the building we were using for cover, deflecting the bullets of a couple droids as I put myself out in the open. Rushing through the capital market and dodging the blasts of Separatist gun ship fire, I make it to the steps of the palace. I notice immediately that dead Taris guards and clones lay on various parts of the steps, their chests adorning lightsaber like stab wounds. Grevious is definitely here. I jump from the bottom step all the way to the top, walking though the already open door. More clones are lying dead in the hallway, their bodies in various contorted broken positions that make me look away. I ignite my lightsaber, maneuvering around the fallen clones and listening for where the General might be hiding.
I hear a strange mechanical coughing noise coming from the throne room, so I slowly approach the hallway leading there. The door is partially opened, revealing onto a sliver of the throne sitting inside, I see no sign of Grevious. As I push through the doors though, I find the droid general talking to his droid commander on the battlefield, telling it to circle around and fight the clones from behind.
"Smart move, General," I say to him, entering into the throne room. "I'm afraid it won't do you any good."
General Grevious is a almost entirely made of metal, apart from yellow sinister eyes that might have once belonged to a normal creature. He stands at about twice my height, his mechanical coughing wracking his body as he steps closer to me. His metal claws for feet clang loudly against the marble floor, filling the empty space around us. He acts very self important, like he things his intimidating. I will not give him such satisfaction of showing fear or worry. This general will soon learn what the Republic and Taris are really made of.
"General Kenobi," He says, laughing maniacally. "What an honor it is to finally meet a Jedi Master."
"I cannot say the feeling is mutual, General. Surrender now and perhaps the Republic will spare you."
Grevious laughs again. "Jedi scum, I will never bow before you or the Republic. Now, where is the queen?"
"Out of your reach."
Grevious looks frustrated, clenching his metal fists behind his back. "You cannot hide her forever. Soon we will have her, and we will force her to sign the planet over to the Separatist alliance by any means necessary."
This sends a chill down my spine. The very thought of Grevious or Dooku laying a hand on Genevieve makes unnerved. I bring my lightsaber up, readying myself. "She will never bend to your rule."
"We shall see, General Kenobi." Grevious says, before rushing towards the window and crashing through it, leaving a trail of glass behind him.
No doubt he is going to go search for Genevieve, but I sense a great deal of fear coming from him through the force. General Grevious is a coward. But luckily for Taris, Genevieve is the farthest thing from a coward, which is exactly why Grevious will never capture this planet. It's why Taris will always survive.