We finally come within range of an elevator that should take us to the location of the Chancellor. Everything has been easy so far and, apart from the mess we created in the hangar, we have been very cautious.
As we approach the lift, a door opens in the hallway to the left and two of General Grievous's bodyguards confront us.
"You know what boys, I think we came into the wrong ship," I remark, deciding it easier to play dumb.
"General Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, (Y/N) (Y/L/N)." One of the bodyguards starts, making my plan redundant. "We've been waiting for you."
The three of us pull out our lightsabers and ignite them. There are only two droids here, and I have no doubt the three of us can take them.
"We are here to relieve you of Chancellor Palpatine, not join him." Obi-Wan states.
"Step aside," Anakin adds.
As the three of us prepare to fight them in the most efficient way possible, the sound of clanking metal appears behind us. I turn around and see at least two dozen droids joining this standoff. What was once an easy situation has just become far more challenging.
Anakin places his finger at his earlobe and traces it down to his jaw. In the last few months, we have developed our own system of signals for which plan we're going to use. This was created purely because of Obi-Wan. Discussing our plans via our connection before enacting them was becoming suspicious.
The plan Anakin is suggesting involves throwing our lightsabers outward and using the Force to send them through the droids nearby. It is incredibly risky, and would certainly stress out Obi-Wan.
"No no, we can't risk the mayhem," I mutter.
"What are you talking about?'' Obi-Wan asks, still confused by our mannerisms.
Anakin rubs below his lip before lightly tapping the tip of his nose. This code refers to our commonly used tactic of combining our power in a strong push of the Force. The problem is, this could have a horribly negative impact on everyone on board.
"It could be dangerous. Might I recommend..." I trail off as I twirl a part of my hair before flipping it over my shoulder.
This idea I am suggesting is rather simple. One of us would need to summon the blasters of the droids and throw them as far away as possible while the other completes a simple lightsaber throw aimed at the targets. We've used it many times before.
"No, there's far too many of them for that." Anakin counters.
Neither of us does anything for a second. We need another plan; one that will be perfectly suited to this situation.
Anakin then runs his finger over the top of his right eyebrow twice. I know what this means, and it's a pretty good option comparatively.
"Oh, that's good." I agree.
We step on either side of Obi-Wan and use our lightsabers to cut a circle into the floor. We drop down a couple of levels into a generator room. There are several large power generators, each topped with sparking excess power dischargers. Not trusting the situation we are in, Anakin and I quickly deactivate our lightsabers.
The damage to the ship as a result of the space battle is particularly evident here. Several large pipes have broken and fluid is flowing through the place. If the fluid reaches the power dischargers, we will have no chance of survival.
"A little warning next time would be nice." Obi-Wan groans.
"Sorry, Master," Anakin says playfully.
I dip a hand into the knee-high fluid and sniff it. It isn't fuel, which is a relief, but we are not out of trouble yet. There is still much that could go wrong.
"It's water," I state.
"The slightest charge will send this ship into oblivion. That's why they've stopped shooting." Obi-Wan explains.
If apprehending us now will result in the overall destruction of the ship, General Grievous will order against it. That buys us at least a little time.
"Well then, we're safe for the time being," Anakin says.
"Your idea of safe is not the same as mine." Obi-Wan replies.
We run through the rising water as external explosions continue to rattle the ship. More of the pipes around us burst, causing more water to spill into the hallway. It is only a matter of time until it reaches the top of the power dischargers.
The sounds of shield doors closing and locking mechanisms echo throughout the hallway. This can only mean one thing.
"They're sealing this section off," Anakin states.
I begin to question what their motive would be until I notice their plan of attack. Super battle droids.
"Six droids coming our way!" I announce.
"Keep moving." Obi Wan's urges. "There have to be ventilation shafts up ahead."
The water draws ever closer to the sparking dischargers as we move along a far wall. Anakin notices a small vent and climbs up to it, eager to find an escape.
"We'll never get through that. It's too small!" Obi Wan's shouts.
I swim through the water as it approaches the ceiling in a desperate attempt to find an escape. The super battle droids would have to be incredibly close to us now. Soon the rising water won't be our only problem.
I close my eyes and try to sense an opening as I feel across the ceiling. There has to be a vent or doorway somewhere. After every dangerous thing I have endured during this war, I refuse to die by drowning in a hallway of water.
The water reaches my chin, but I don't lose hope. I continue to search, desperate for anything.
"I found our escape vent!" Anakin calls.
I waste no time swimming over to him. The escape route he has found is a very, very small vent that I would be lucky to even fit my head through.
"Anakin, this is no time for jokes. We're in serious trouble here." Obi-Wan says.
"Only in your mind, my Master," Anakin replies sassily. "Look, no structure..."
His voice trails off as he grabs the side of the vent and yanks it downward. The action rips off a panel, revealing a much larger work shaft.
"Quickly, get in," Anakin says to me.
I have no time to argue so I hurry to pull myself into the vent. He puts his hands on my waist to help lift me into the shaft. I could have done it without his assistance, but I know he simply felt the need to make sure I would be okay.
"Not bad, Skywalker." I compliment his plan as I pull my body inside the shaft.
The vent shaft is incredibly narrow and quite suffocating, but I manage to pull myself through it. The vertical climb, however, is exhausting.
I eventually reach a small hatch in the side of the tube protected by a pressure lock. Given how far up we've travelled, I believe it's fair to assume that this is the best escape plan. I work the keyboard on the pressure lock for only a few seconds before I get the latch unlocked. It reveals a smaller passageway that we must get ourselves through.
"Anakin! Obi-Wan!" I call. "We're going into a narrower shaft. Slam the hatch shut behind you!"
"Did she really say narrower?" Obi-Wan asks Anakin.
"I believe she did." Anakin groans.
I laugh to myself slightly before continuing forward. Now would be a great time for a slight break, but that is a luxury we cannot afford.
We make our way through the ever-shrinking shaft with me remaining as the lead. After what feels like a lifetime has passed, we finally reach the end.
I hastily open the hatch at the end of the shaft and squeeze myself out. I quickly realise we're now in one of the main hallways of the cruiser, meaning we don't have much time.
Once Anakin and Obi-Wan are out, I ignite my lightsaber and begin to seal the hatch. Anakin ignites his also and aids me in my attempt.
"That won't hold when the water hits those power dischargers." Obi-Wan states.
"The blast will break the hull, yes, but this side is pressurised," I reply.
While I am reckless and often impulsive, I cannot deny that I am responsible when it truly matters. In this case, I have thought of the potential problems and have taken a calculated risk to combat it. I have faith in my plan.
"Sealing the hatch should be more than enough to hold it off," Anakin adds.
"You both still have much to learn," Obi-Wan says.
I can sense that the water is about to make contact with the power dischargers. I brace myself for the explosion about to rattle the ship.
When the explosion hits, the sealed hatch bulges outward significantly. Everything was contained within the shaft. As predicted, our plan worked.
Obi-Wan jumps back and stands amazed. "All right, you win. I have much to learn. Let's go!"
We both grin at Obi-Wan then at each other. The Clone Wars have been challenging, but the one thing I have learned is that I can overcome any obstacle when I have Anakin by my side.
It is only a matter of time before the droids realise where we are, so we take off down the hallway. Our goal is to find the Chancellor, and we can't lose sight of that.
We approach another elevator door and wait patiently for it to arrive. However, a slightly odd sound gains my attention.
The three of us turn around and see we are face to face with four destroyer droids. They start blasting away at us and Anakin and I quickly ignite our lightsabers. We deflect the blasts while Obi-Wan frantically pushes the elevator buttons several more times.
Finally, the doors open. We hurry inside and continue to deflect the blasts until the door slides shut. When we think we are free, we turn to see multiple battle droids standing behind us.
"Drop your weapons!" One of them orders.
I am beyond done with this type of Separatist droid. I step forward slightly to ensure I'm away from Anakin and Obi-Wan before swinging my blade in one swift motion from left to right. I slice through them all in one hit.
"Someone's angry," Anakin comments.
The elevator suddenly screeches to a rapid stop. I certainly did not touch anything, which means Anakin or Obi-Wan must be responsible.
"Did either of you press the stop button?" Obi-Wan asks.
"No, did you?" I reply.
"No." Obi-Wan answers.
I watch as my husband's eyes closely inspect the elevator. He's searching for an alternative way of getting to where we need to be.
"Well, there's more than one way out of here," Anakin states.
He reignites his lightsaber and thrusts it into the ceiling to cut a hole. I don't know what his plan will be once he's in the actual shaft, but I know I'll be there with him to figure it out.
"We don't want to get out, we want to get moving," Obi-Wan counters.
Anakin finishes cutting the hole and jumps out of the elevator. I know I need to go with him to make sure he doesn't get himself into any trouble.
"Always on the move." Obi-Wan remarks.
"Obi-Wan, contact Artoo and Arthree. See if they can activate the elevator remotely." I suggest.
I don't wait around for Obi-Wan to respond, instead I jump out of the elevator to meet my husband. He gives me a joyful grin when he sees that I chose to come with him.
Suddenly, the elevator starts to plummet down the shaft. Anakin and I instinctively jump and grab hold of a narrow edge of the elevator shaft. We look down as the elevator recedes and slowly disappears from view.
When things can't seem to get worse, the door to the elevator shaft opens and two battle droids appear in the doorway.
"If we remain completely still, they might not see us," I say hopefully through our connection.
"Hands up, Jedi! Don't move." One of the droids says as they point their guns at us.
My brilliant idea doesn't work even for a second. I truly thought that something as useless as a battle droid would be easily fooled.
"Roger roger." The other agrees.
"There goes that plan," Anakin remarks.
I look down and see the elevator racing toward us at a high speed. I return my gaze to the armed battle droids looking down on us before giving Anakin a nod.
"We need to calculate this perfectly," I say through our connection.
"I know," He agrees.
We wait for a moment as we calculate the speed of the elevator and compare it to how quickly it is likely to reach us.
"Now!" I order.
We give ourselves a push off the wall and flip up into the shaft itself. Before we can descent down into the shaft, the elevator races up to us and we land on the top of it.
Anakin descends through the whole he cut out first and drops back into the elevator. I watch as a startled Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber and prepares to attack.
"Oh, it's you," Obi-Wan says.
Anakin moves aside a little and extends his hands to help me into the elevator. I drop down and he catches me before I can land awkwardly on the floor. This action will look incredibly suspicious to Obi-Wan, but I don't really care at this point.
"What was that all about anyway?" I ask, referring to the elevator's sudden drop.
"Well, Artoo and Arthree have been..." Obi-Wan starts.
"Uh," Anakin stammers. "No loose wire jokes."
Anakin has always been protective of Artoo. He would never let anyone say anything bad about him. Now that I have Arthree too, which was programmed from Artoo, I know he will become even more protective.
"Did I say anything?" Obi-Wan asks.
"They're trying!" Anakin states, actively defending the actions of the droids.
"I didn't say anything!" Obi-Wan affirms.
The elevator door finally opens and the three of us carefully make our way to the main room before us. There doesn't seem to be any droids nearby which I assume to either be a good sign or a trap.
On the far end of the room sits Chancellor Palpatine. The closer we get to him, the more distressed the look on his face becomes.
Obi-Wan bows respectfully, "Chancellor."
"Are you alright?" Anakin asks.
I remain silent. I have nothing to say to this man. If it were up to me, I simply would not have come on this rescue mission. He is not my problem, nor is he worth my time.
"Count Dooku," Palpatine says quietly.
He makes a small gesture with his hand, prompting the three of us to turn around. Count Dooku along with two super droids stride onto a balcony located above us. He looks down on us, both physically and metaphorically.
"This time we will do it together." Obi-Wan states.
"I was about to say that," Anakin replies
"It would be preferable if no one lost a limb this time," I add.
Anakin gives me a slight glare and Obi-Wan has to stifle a laugh. What happened on Geonosis is not something to joke about, but then again, it is a necessary reminder.
Count Dooku jumps down from the balcony to the main level and ignites his lightsaber. His form is very polished and elegant, and that's part of what makes him such a formidable opponent.
"Get help. You're no match for him. He's a Sith Lord," The Chancellor voices from behind us.
It is getting to the point where I am almost content with leaving the Chancellor here alone to face whatever Dooku has planned.
"Chancellor Palpatine, Sith lords are our specialty." Obi-Wan remarks with his usual tone of optimism.
We take off our cloaks and ready ourselves as the Count draws nearer. I would prefer not to face him again, however, I know we do not have a choice.
"Your swords, please, Master Jedi. We don't want to make a mess of things in front of the Chancellor." Dooku states.
We take a few cautious steps toward Dooku to prove that we are not afraid. He may be strong with the dark side, but the light will always win.
"You won't get away this time, Dooku." Obi-Wan states.
We ignite our lightsabers and charge toward him. One would think that having three Jedi against one Sith would make for an easy win. That certainly is not the case.
The three of us attack Dooku from all directions, but he is prepared. He manages to block every strike, even throwing in some of his own in the process.
He breaks away, leaving us all in an intense standoff. I do not lower my guard even for a second. If he notices even the slightest hesitation, he will act on it.
"I've been looking forward to this." Dooku states.
"My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count," Anakin says.
His powers have indeed doubled since Geonosis. What the Count doesn't know is that mine have too. If we truly focus, we should be able to stop him.
"Good." Dooku smiles. "Twice the pride, double the fall."
"How poetic," I scoff.
Dooku lunges himself back at us and the battle proceeds. I can sense him and Obi-Wan becoming tired, but Anakin and I are only growing stronger. We continue to drive the attack on Dooku until he throws Obi-Wan back with the Force. I want to go help, but that would mean abandoning Anakin. That's something I cannot do.
Anakin, Dooku, and I move up the stairs on one side while Obi-Wan destroys the two super battle droids behind us. It seems like we have the upper hand until Dooku uses the Force to throw Anakin and me backward into a nearby wall.
Dooku uses the Force to get Obi-Wan in a chokehold before throwing him into the distant metal railing, resulting in him falling unconscious to the lower level of the area. Dooku then uses the Force to break loose a section of the balcony. He plans to drop it on Obi-Wan, and if he does, he will not survive the impact.
I outstretch my hand to fight against Dooku's action. He at first looks confused when the balcony doesn't immediately fall onto Obi-Wan, but soon realises why that is the case. I'm acting directly against him.
The strain of fighting against his abilities is unbearably strong. I can feel my body becoming weak but I will not give up. I can't let anything happen to Obi-Wan.
Anakin runs to Dooku while he is distracted by our battle and kicks him over the balcony. The Count lands on the main level and Anakin jumps down to finish their fight.
Without the opposing force of Dooku, I easily lift the piece of the balcony and place it on the floor near Obi-Wan. I feel completely exhausted, but I will not let my husband fight Dooku alone. I force myself off of the ground and run downstairs.
As I meet their position, Dooku lifts Anakin in a force choke and throws him to the opposite end of the room. It will take a while for him to regain his composure and rejoin the fight, so for now, it's up to me.
I run at Dooku and clash my lightsaber against his. This scenario is giving me flashbacks to our first encounter back on Geonosis. Like today, Obi-Wan was unconscious, Anakin was injured, and my anger for the Count was dangerously high.
"I see you still allow your feelings for Skywalker to cloud your judgement. Fear and anger surround you, (Y/L/N), but you don't use them," Dooku states.
"Some call it weakness, I call it strength!" I say through gritted teeth.
I begin to attack the Count with more ferocity than before. He needs to learn that he chose the wrong side of this war. Good has to win.
"Strength?" He scoffs.
"Anyone can give into the dark side. Only the strong can overcome its temptation. That's why I'm going to beat you today. That's why we will always win!" I declare.
"Your words are brave but ultimately foolish." He remarks.
In one last, energised swing, I manage to get my lightsaber in the right position to cause extensive damage. I pull the blade toward me, cutting off Dooku's hands in the process. He stumbles to the floor with a confused and terrified expression plastered on his face while I hold my lightsaber before his neck.
"Good, (Y/N), good. I knew you could do it." Palpatine chuckles. "Kill him. Kill him now!"
Count Dooku has caused so much pain to people throughout the galaxy. That includes many people I love. I want him to pay more than anyone else does, but this is not the way to go about it.
I can't kill an unarmed man. I won't.
"No," I state.
I deactivate my lightsaber and clip it back to my belt. Count Dooku is no longer a threat, and there is no need for this to continue further.
"(Y/N), he is too dangerous to be left alive," The Chancellor argues.
"Maybe, but he will stand trial. I will not murder an unarmed man." I reply, my tone of voice actively reflecting my growing frustration with the man.
I step away from Dooku and head toward the two injured Jedi nearby. The Chancellor isn't at risk now, not with the state Dooku is in.
I walk over to Obi-Wan, knowing he is in a far worse position than Anakin. My husband merely got knocked backwards, whereas Obi-Wan was thrown into metal. He needs my assistance more.
I crouch down beside Obi-Wan and feel for his pulse. He is unconscious, yes, but he seems to be stable.
"I've got to say, Obi-Wan, you sure are a survivor," I joke, even though he cannot hear me.
With Dooku now incapable of causing us harm, I decide it's okay for me to focus some attention on trying to lift Obi-Wan. I place one of his arms over my shoulder and attempt to lift him.
My attention is gained by the sound of the ignition of two lightsabers. I look up to see Anakin standing before Dooku with both of their lightsabers in his hands held in an 'x' shape.
The sight terrifies me to the point where I lose my grip on Obi-Wan, causing his unconscious body to topple back to the floor.
"Anakin, don't!" I call.
His eyes don't search for mine, nor does he react to my words in any way. It's like he can't stop himself from what he is about to do.
"Do it," Palpatine demands.
I start running toward Anakin as fast as I possibly can. I can't let him do this. If he takes the life of Count Dooku under these circumstances, he will tarnish his good heart. The dark side will become more tempting. I know he would never give in to it, but I cannot allow him to go through the struggle.
Before I can reach him, he brings the lightsabers inward and cuts off Count Dooku's head.
My legs freeze, forcing me to stop running. A shocked gasp escapes my lips before I have a chance to cover my mouth. Anakin seems completely unphased, and the Chancellor looks impressed.
I taught him this trick during our mission on the Citadel. Now I'm wishing I never did. Anakin has broken the Jedi Code many, many times before, but never like this. Dooku was a vile Sith, however, he was still an unarmed man in the end.
Anakin seemingly comes to terms with what he has done within seconds of it happening. He deactivates both lightsabers and tosses Dooku's to the ground. He then turns his gaze to me.
"What the hell have you done?" I whimper.