Chapter 7 Attack of the Clones Part 3

"We must follow Dooku; if he escapes, the war will begin," said Obi-Wan, refusing to descend into the war zone where Republic ships attempted to establish a beachhead, unloading artillery, tanks, and troops. On the opposing side, the droids had their own artillery and tanks, making the battle challenging.

The clone soldiers piloting the ship immediately obeyed Obi-Wan's order, lifting off to pursue Dooku, who was escorted by his own bodyguard fighters. They downed two transports before being taken out. They also fired at the ship carrying Padmé; she lost balance, but the Force warned her, and Anakin already had her.

…

"Padmé, don't go out," ordered Anakin as they reached Dooku.

Dooku, awaiting the final preparations for his escape ship, approached them with elegance.

"Anakin, stay with me," advised Obi-Wan as they faced Dooku.

"Master, stay back with Padmé. Your technique is good, but your physical condition is terrible; you'll be a burden," said Anakin. Dooku blinked, and Obi-Wan sighed, having witnessed Anakin's training with Windu, he stepped aside with Padmé.

"Interesting decision," said Dooku, adopting an elegant posture like a Spanish fencer.

This was the famous Makashi form, supposedly the best for individual combat, Form II in the Jedi combat arts. Anakin disagreed with this assessment, finding it too limited in other aspects, but it served its purpose and undoubtedly gave Dooku an air of nobility, moving like a feline in a parade.

"Dooku, your control over your emotions is admirable, but if you think that prevents the dark side from corrupting you, you're mistaken. It's a drug, and you consume it willingly; it will consume you slowly," said Anakin. Dooku smiled.

"Padawan, your knowledge of the dark side surprises me," said Dooku, taking his saber with his left hand and gesturing towards it. Anakin wondered if Palpatine had ordered him to try to enter his mind.

"Dooku!" exclaimed Obi-Wan, seeing what he was doing, as a Jedi would never attempt such a thing.

Anakin defused the attack with a hand gesture. Dooku tensed and quickly stepped back, placing his saber to stop the Force wave directed at his ship. His hasty move cost him some elegance, and his anger was evident as he looked at Obi-Wan, who didn't know where to look.

"Dooku, do you think you're the only one who can play dirty in this place? If you continue with your tricks, I'll make you crawl on the ground," said Anakin coldly.

"Brave statement," replied Dooku, but he dared not move away from his ship and only glanced at Padmé and Obi-Wan behind him.

"You can try, meanwhile, I'll turn your ship into scrap, and soon there will be hundreds of Jedi in this place," said Anakin calmly, studying Dooku's Force. Now that he was facing him, he realized he had a presence no less than the big beast.

"Damn," thought Anakin, there was no way to capture this guy; he could only delay him until reinforcements arrived. The green troll must be nearby…

Anakin blinked. The green troll wouldn't come; the surviving Jedi were leading more troops, forcing the Geonosians to deploy more of their robots, revealing their hidden droid factories, and now the Jedi were about to destroy them. The big beast and the green troll led the attack. The second battle of Geonosis had begun ahead of schedule.

"Force, I should have let those idiots die," thought Anakin resentfully. Dooku, still unable to figure out how to use the Force against Anakin without him destroying his ship while attacking, smiled.

"Problems?" Dooku asked mockingly.

"For both of us," replied Anakin. "Your hidden factories have been discovered; I'm afraid your plan to feign innocence has gone down the drain," Anakin informed. Dooku frowned.

The Jedi had just dealt him a severe blow, but it was his fault for bringing an army to the location. Anakin's issue with this was that now he wouldn't have reinforcements…

Dooku advanced, seemingly having given up trying to use Force abilities. Anakin, already familiar with this area, knew they were evenly matched in that aspect, so he preferred to conserve his energy for a lightsaber battle. Although they would also be evenly matched in lightsaber skill, Anakin had the advantage in physical form, so if the confrontation prolonged, he would emerge victorious.

Dooku saluted with a flourish, and Anakin adopted the Form V stance. He initiated the duel with an attack, and Dooku held off his assault long enough to step aside, taking a forty-five-degree angle to the right, leaving his ship behind Anakin.

Dooku's move indicated that he didn't trust his honor and suspected that his ship would suffer the consequences if exposed. Anakin smiled and played along because, for Dooku, it would be equally difficult to attack Padmé and Obi-Wan, who were watching the duel.

In the confined space of Dooku's ship hangar, the power of Form V was diminished, while Dooku's Form II, with short and smooth movements, was enhanced. Dooku was unaffected by Anakin's powerful strikes, and the lightsaber fight dragged on.

Dooku launched quick and short attacks that prevented Anakin from extending his lightsaber too far to leverage his strength. In terms of fighting styles, Dooku's was as offensive as Anakin's, and after a minute, both separated to evaluate strategies as the combat didn't progress. Anakin needed space, and Dooku wanted to escape because this fight was futile for him.

"Dooku, there's no way you'll take that ship with me here. Surrender, and you'll make life easier for both of us," advised Anakin.

"Padawan, your arrogance will be your downfall," replied Dooku, making a strange movement with his hand.

Another Jedi would have fallen victim to his lightning attack without knowing what was coming, but Anakin raised his lightsaber even before Dooku completed his move.

Dooku looked surprised, but as Anakin had promised, he wouldn't stand idly by. As he raised his arm with his lightsaber to defend against the Sith lightning, he raised the other arm, and the ground began to erode on all sides. The same would happen to Dooku's ship, although the resistances of both materials were not equal, and it would take more time for it to wear out.

Dooku, surprised but understanding what he was doing, rushed to charge to interrupt Anakin's concentration and stop the erosion. However, this didn't come without costs, as the Makashi style was not suitable for charges, and Anakin had enough space to enhance his strike. Anakin executed a full vertical cut that Dooku, while charging, had no choice but to take, interposing his lightsaber and staggering backward.

Seizing the opportunity, Anakin executed another full horizontal cut, which Dooku partially managed to dodge by turning backward and enhancing himself with the Force. The tip of Anakin's lightsaber grazed Dooku's left forearm, not enough to cut it, but it rendered it useless. Despite this, Dooku regained his posture, brandished his lightsaber, and continued attacking at high speed without uttering a word.

Anakin accepted the challenge, focusing all his energies on the duel, despite being constrained by Dooku's style and the limited space available.

Despite having a disabled arm, Dooku's stance was smooth, with quick and short strikes, giving Anakin no time to build momentum or distance himself. Anakin also couldn't jump backward due to the confined space, needing to keep his attention focused to avoid tripping over anything.

In this fight, diverting attention would be deadly. Thus, the duel in which Anakin thought he had all the advantages stalled for both. Dooku couldn't escape, and he couldn't defeat him. Perhaps someone with more experience in lightsaber duels could, but it was challenging to find Jedi of his level, and a training bout wasn't the same as a real duel.

Anakin was frustrated but released everything to the Force and refused to force any movements, deploying a dance of steps and techniques against Dooku. He wouldn't give up; he still had the advantage in Force and physical form, and Dooku was injured. This would weaken him even faster. At this rate, Dooku wouldn't last more than two hours. It wasn't a victory, but this wasn't a competition. Anakin would settle for capturing him and making things difficult for Palpatine. He would see who he'd seek to lead the separatists.

Fifteen minutes later, Dooku finally frowned, realizing his intentions. Anakin smiled at him, but before it could fully form, both jumped backward to end their duel. They didn't lower their guard, but their minds were elsewhere, so they distanced themselves.

"Anakin, the droids are retreating in this direction," Obi-Wan reported, confirming the explosions' commotion that shook the ground and approached.

Anakin couldn't believe this was a coincidence, and Dooku seemed to have done nothing, so this must be Palpatine's doing. He didn't want the supposed separatist leader to fall in this place…

A missile struck the cliff, and the cave shook. Anakin didn't hesitate and withdrew towards Obi-Wan and Padmé; the Force warned him that if they stayed there, they would end up buried. Still, he wouldn't let Dooku just walk away, and while running, he used his free hand to dislodge a boulder from the rock ceiling, which fell onto Dooku's ship.

Dooku glared at him but gritted his teeth and leaped off the cliff, being picked up by a vulture droid in a risky maneuver. In the end, as Anakin had promised, he didn't let him escape in his ship, and the Sith Lord lost his glamour, jumping off a precipice.

His master looked at him disapprovingly for his vindictive nature.

"Master, it was Dooku who brought that army here, feeling cornered. He is the one with a vindictive nature; I am just punishing his dishonor," said Anakin, taking Padmé in his arms.

Padmé gave a little shriek and blushed. Anakin grimaced and released his emotions to the Force. He said nothing and shot off at the speed of a bullet to leave the place. Obi-Wan followed.

…

They exited the cave, which served as Dooku's lair, and a few minutes later, they were picked up by a troop transport, taking them to the Republic's command line, constantly advancing towards a very numerous but disorganized droid army.

It was a disaster In terms of strategy; it seemed like they had taken the droids from the factories, given them a weapon, and sent them to the battlefield like a disorganized army of ants. That's why the clones were advancing without much resistance.

…

The clone troop transport dropped them at the improvised command center, where commanders Yoda and Windu were directing troops and protected by an improvised perimeter of clone troops behind a line of tanks. The command room consisted of holographic computers placed on supply crates that had once contained weapons. The holograms displayed the droid factories and the massive number of them joining the battle.

Anakin wasted no time on greetings or formalities and immediately began reading battle reports and the situation, making many grimaces as he did so.

According to Xion's memories, the clone army was to take Geonosis, capture the droid factories, letting Dooku, the separatist leaders, and General Grievous escape—basically, anyone willing to leave the planet. The rescue of Obi-Wan resulted in a disaster for the Republic, with many Jedi casualties. The battle was chaotic due to the Jedi's lack of command skills and their unfamiliarity with how to use the clones.

Now the situation wasn't much different. Separatist ships quickly fled upon seeing the approaching army, and no one thought to block the planet and its hyperspace routes to prevent their escape. Their ships left, taking an army with them, meaning the war wouldn't end here.

The ground battle was also disastrous. Tanks were poorly positioned, Jedi didn't know what to do, and clones awaited orders from incompetent commanders. Although Anakin had saved many Jedi's lives by arriving with the army, it didn't improve the situation. Surviving Jedi decided to explore the area, discovering hidden droid factories and forcing the Geonosians to fight seriously.

In summary, the Jedi had disturbed a large nest of enemies, and enemy troops had multiplied by five. What prevented them from being completely annihilated at present was the disorganization of the separatists; in their escape, their chain of command was in chaos worse than that of the Jedi.

Another significant change was that, by sheer chance, they located one of the conspirators involved in Dooku's plot, who had been blocked in his escape route. This explained why the droid army was so determined to win this battle—capturing one of their leaders here would create significant problems for the separatists to justify their presence.

However, the current problem was that this prisoner was in the enemy command center, surrounded by a growing army of droids. Everything indicated they would have to retreat and wait for reinforcements, undoubtedly giving the opportunity for the target to escape.

With Dooku and the rest of the separatists having escaped, this battle would be just as disastrous and fruitless as Xion remembered.

Anakin wouldn't gain any political advantage from it, which Padmé could exploit, and he couldn't allow that. He had made a mistake by trying to capture Dooku; he should have focused on a more modest goal and pursued the accomplices. While capturing them wouldn't significantly affect the course of the war as capturing Dooku would, each of them represented a political victory against Palpatine. Anakin should have considered that in his ambition to catch Dooku; it was pure arrogance.

Anakin gritted his teeth and no longer knew who was more useless, him or the other Jedi. At least they managed to capture one of the enemy leaders, while his only results were returning empty-handed.

Anakin shook his head to free himself from those self-critical thoughts. It wasn't the time for regrets.

"In the face of frustration and anger, nonchalance and calm," Anakin told himself in his mind. He looked at Windu and Yoda and remembered he still had contingency plans. He knew that if he captured Dooku, there would be no way they'd let him go peacefully, and he'd face a whole army. His attempt to capture Dooku had failed, but he still had a tough battle ahead, and his plans could still be useful.

"We must take the command center immediately. If this army organizes, they'll slaughter us," Anakin said, observing the overwhelming number of enemies they faced. Windu looked at him with a concerned expression, and Master Yoda chewed his saliva, while clone captains watched the group.

"We know, Padawan Skywalker. We are advancing in the direction where we located command signals, but there are too many enemies, and they are grouping faster than we can advance. If this continues, we'll have to retreat and wait for reinforcements," Windu explained reluctantly.

"I won't allow it!" Anakin declared. "Dooku has escaped, and if we lose this leader, all evidence against the separatists will disappear, and we'll be seen as villains, giving them more support," he added. He wouldn't let Palpatine achieve a double victory, knowing the consequences it would have.

"Consequences we can see. The power to prevent it, we do not possess," said Yoda.

"I disagree," said Anakin, who already knew there was an army in this place and was preparing to take control. However, he didn't anticipate losing Dooku after ten years of training to capture him effortlessly and now finding himself in the midst of a battle.

Anakin observed the holographic screens, positioning himself in anticipation. Yoda, Windu, Obi-Wan, and Padmé knew Anakin had a plan.

"Padawan Skywalker, have you seen something?" Windu asked, with an annoyed expression. Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"Master Windu, I'm surprised. Are you asking about the future?" Anakin responded with feigned surprise. Yoda chewed his saliva, and Windu gritted his teeth.

"Anakin!" reprimanded Obi-Wan, who aimed to prevent Anakin from enjoying his victories over the other Jedi. Anakin sighed. If it were up to him, he would remind them of their ineptitude a bit more.

"As I mentioned earlier, I made some preparations because I already knew there was a hidden army in this place. My plan was to infiltrate and capture the command room secretly while the factories remained concealed.

"The problem is that, because I didn't allow the droids to kill the Jedi in the arena and entertained the Geonosians without the need for combat until the clone army arrived, now there are more Jedi, and the factories were exposed. We have a war on our hands, and my infiltration plans are discarded," Anakin said, omitting the fact that he also failed to capture Dooku. "Still, I have backup plans.

"Since I can't infiltrate stealthily, I'll go in forcefully, with your help, as unlike you, I have prepared for this war and have some resources," Anakin added, looking at a troop transport approaching the command center.

Anakin frowned. Yoda and Windu were also surprised by Yaddle's presence and looked at him because it was evident he didn't expect her to come there.

The troop transport reached the perimeter seconds later, and Yaddle, carrying a metallic backpack and a small box in her hand, descended from it. Four clones stood guard at her side.

Yaddle walked toward the command center. Upon reaching it, she took off the metallic backpack and handed it over. Then, she looked at the box in her hands with doubts.

"You must return them when you finish your mission," Yaddle said, handing over the box with some hesitation. Anakin hurried to take it.

"Of course," Anakin replied. He wasn't willing, but he also couldn't betray Yaddle's trust. Yoda and Windu had their eyes fixed on the box.

"What will you use the Kyber crystals for?" Yoda asked, unable to hide the fear in his voice, as he sensed he wouldn't like the answer.

"To carve a path through the droid army. I'll bring my master with me and need two more volunteers. Although it's a dangerous mission, and these volunteers are likely to die," Anakin said with a smirk, looking at the green troll and the brown beast, his main issues on the Jedi Council.

Yoda blinked, and Windu looked at him with determination to indicate that getting rid of him wouldn't be that easy. Anakin smiled maliciously.

"Of course, we can retreat and grant the separatists a political victory that will affect the reputation of the Republic and the Jedi," Anakin said. "You can also send someone else," he added, though he didn't dare to complete that sentence. Windu glared at him, but Yaddle sighed and stepped forward.

"Master Windu and I will be your reinforcements," Yaddle declared. The entire group looked at Yaddle. Anakin shook his head.

"Master Yaddle, it's too dangerous! Let Master Yoda take your place," Anakin said with concern. Yoda frowned. Windu glared at him, while his master sighed resignedly.

"Master Yoda is more suitable to be in our control center. Also, I can handle your defensive spheres since I have practiced with them," Yaddle said, shaking her head and then pointing at the holographic screens. "There's no time for more discussions; the enemy line is strengthening, and soon we'll have to retreat," Yaddle added.

Anakin gritted his teeth. He already knew the old one didn't have good intentions by learning his defensive skill. This old one was too stubborn, and there was no time to waste.

"What's your plan?" grunted Windu, suspecting that Anakin planned to assassinate him on this mission. Anakin approached the holographic screens.

"First, we'll advance towards the enemy lines here," he said, pointing to where enemy reinforcements were arriving, on the path to their control room. "Once there, we'll run at full speed, break through the enemy ranks until we reach this mountain," he continued, pointing to a mountain a kilometer from the enemy line. "On the mountain, we'll climb up to the control room level to avoid internal defenses. Then, we'll pierce through the layers of defensive armor and rocks, entering the control room where we'll deactivate the droid army, capturing their leaders or destroying their computers if they refuse to surrender," Anakin explained.

"Anakin, we would need an army twenty times larger to break that defensive line. Also, we have no air support, as any ship that approaches will be shot down," Obi-Wan said.

"That's why only the four of us will advance. I'll pave the way and take care of the drilling on the mountain. You'll cover me since my perception will be at a minimum, and I'll need protection. I'll also need support once we reach the objective because I don't believe I'll be in a condition by then," Anakin explained as the backpack opened, and eight spheres emerged.

What surprised the group the most was that the backpack itself split and formed four more spheres. The first ones were small, no larger than a fist, but the other four were three times their size and floated, opening like a flower.

Anakin opened the small box, and the four crystals floated, one into each sphere, fitting into a small mechanism that imprisoned them, and the spheres closed. These larger spheres weren't flawless, as they had a small concave part of their surface, allowing any other traveler to immediately recognize which weapon they belonged to, even if it were thousands of times smaller.

"These are one of my preparations in case of a situation like this. I call them Death Stars," Anakin declared.

Windu and Yoda almost jumped in surprise, and Windu was about to reprimand him, but Master Yaddle gave him a warning look.

"It's not the time for discussions, Master Windu. I already know the entire plan and the skills the Padawan will use, and as I see it, his condition is not the best right now, but it will suffice. We must move before we lose our opportunity and tarnish the reputation of the Order," Yaddle said with a serious tone.

"Jedi speed will reduce our environmental perception, and there will be many shots," said Windu.

"The distance is quite extensive as well," Obi-Wan intervened, whose physical condition was average and would suffer using the Force in his body for a whole kilometer.

"Master, don't expose yourself like that; it's embarrassing," said Anakin, as the eight defensive spheres formed an orbit around the group, creating a defensive perimeter. "Also, Master Windu will be our first shield, you will be the second. Master Yaddle and I will escape if we lose both of you and if the plan fails," Anakin added with feigned regret. "Don't worry, as I mentioned before, I'll try to save you," he added, inhaling deeply before heading to the troop transport that brought Yaddle.

"Captain, take us as close as possible to the enemy lines," ordered Anakin.

Obi-Wan dragged his feet in a bad mood, followed by an annoyed Windu who wasn't willing to play his part in this plan. However, the reputation of the Jedi Order and the Senate was at stake, so he advanced with less enthusiasm than Obi-Wan. Windu was sure he wouldn't survive, as he didn't have a good opinion of Anakin and suspected that he wanted to bring them to the Council in a coffin to avoid future reprimands.

Anakin wouldn't complain if a stray shot got rid of the brown beast, with its arrogant behavior and excessive pride, but he also didn't plan to get rid of him. He was just trying to annoy him so that he would think twice before bothering him in the future.

"Anakin, be careful," warned Padmé, who had remained silent since their arrival. Although the Jedi Order supported Palpatine, she still held great respect for them.

The troop transport advanced towards the offensive line, which moved less and less in the desert with a few peaks. Despite the evident disorganization, the droid army had the advantage of deploying in large numbers.

Their group descended In the front lines, in a neutral territory of two hundred meters.

"Master Windu, Master Obi-Wan, we'll form an arrowhead. I'll be at the tip, and you'll protect the rear on my sides. Master Yaddle will control the defenses from the center," said Anakin.

Windu was surprised to see Anakin at the forefront and understood that he was being teased. The eight spheres continued to orbit around them, while the four mini Death Stars positioned themselves at Anakin's sides.

Anakin didn't give time for complaints and shot off using Jedi speed, which he had used before to escape. This power was very useful but had several disadvantages. Firstly, it was exhausting, and Jedi with little Force control or novices would often faint after covering just six meters.

Obi-Wan, who was already an experienced Jedi, complained even about covering a kilometer. Additionally, it required good physical condition, so Anakin didn't want to take Yaddle, despite her great Force control, as she was an old lady, and this would be a difficult trial for her. Lastly, although Jedi speed heightened the senses and gave the feeling that the world was slowing down, in comparison to a resting Jedi, perception was lower.

Despite all these disadvantages, Jedi speed still had advantages, including the strategic advantage Anakin was leveraging at that moment to cross the enemy battlefield and assault their base without them being able to stop him. However, Jedi speed wasn't his only weapon in this plan.

A second after they started, they had covered a hundred meters and found themselves facing a formation of armored B2 droids, a large number of B1s, spider tanks, and numerous cannons.

Anakin raised his hand, and the four Death Stars shot concentrated beams, twice the width of a lightsaber, hitting the enemy ranks, cutting through both tanks and armored droids, while a Force wave disarmed those left standing.

Obi-Wan and Windu hurried to clear the way, understanding their role at that moment and also grasping the purpose of the spheres that Yaddle moved to intercept blaster shots. Although not specifically aimed at them, on a battlefield with shots everywhere, it was absurd to think they would emerge unscathed without proper shielding.

…

Two seconds later, they reached the offensive line and had a cleared path of a hundred meters ahead, while the hundreds of droids around had been disarmed, although their pieces hadn't yet fallen to the ground. The Death Stars continued firing, clearing the path by splitting tanks into several parts that Windu and Obi-Wan moved aside to advance.

…

Ten seconds after starting, the group reached the mountain where the control room was located, and at that moment, the droids had already focused their attention on them. Hundreds of weapons fired at them, especially now that they were in front of the main control room. However, the defensive spheres intercepted most of the shots, and Yaddle stopped the rest with her lightsaber.

Tanks and cannons trying to shoot at them were eliminated by two Death Stars, while another two literally dug a tunnel into the enemy bunker, and Anakin used the Force to throw the cut rocks away and prevent them from disrupting the advance.

Since it had been ten seconds, Windu and Obi-Wan assisted Yaddle in the defense.

"Anakin, are you okay?" Obi-Wan asked, observing the indiscriminate use of the Force he was making.

Not a few Jedi had consumed themselves by overestimating their Force abilities. However, considering Anakin's current control, and despite his encounter with Dooku, as Master Yaddle had mentioned, he still had enough Force to accomplish this task.

"Master, focus on your own task," Anakin replied, not wanting to get shot in the back due to insignificant conversation. Obi-Wan looked at him with hostility but focused on his own task.

…

Thirty seconds into the mission, and twenty seconds after climbing the mountain, they were just about twenty meters away from reaching the control room. They managed to break through, and Windu and Obi-Wan entered to eliminate the droids in the command room.

The command room was enormous, a cavern about a hundred meters in diameter, where there were dozens of Geonosians and also dozens of B2s, in addition to a couple of destroyers that wouldn't make it easy for Obi-Wan. However, Windu was present, and Anakin wasn't too worried.

Anakin didn't help, as he was experiencing double vision. The armor turned out to be more resistant than expected, and he had to resort to rearranging matter to accelerate the infiltration. He ignored Obi-Wan and Windu, who would handle the rest, and turned around, hoping not to encounter the elderly Yaddle, with her bones broken due to the run to this place…

Yaddle looked at him, and he observed her while she held her abdomen, blood flowing from it.

"Master Yaddle!" exclaimed Anakin as the old woman nodded in acceptance and leaned against the wall to rest.

"Chosen One, your path must not end in this place," Yaddle said with a smile and, after a relieved sigh, seemed to fall asleep.

Anakin could feel the Force fading from her, knowing she would die in a matter of minutes. He ran toward her and pretended to examine her wound.

"It's just a minor burn," Anakin said to Windu and Obi-Wan, who were about to finish off the droids, but two destroyers were causing them trouble. Anakin took advantage of their full attention on the destroyers to place his hand over Yaddle's wound and, as he had mentioned earlier, only left a second-degree burn instead of a lethal injury.

Anakin tried to get up after healing Yaddle, but now everything was spinning, and then darkness came. Healing someone when they were already at the limit was too much…

…

Upon waking up, Anakin was in the sickbay of a star cruiser. As he opened his eyes and sat up, Anakin received a hug from Padmé, who was beside him, but they were not alone, and she hurried to let go and lowered her head in embarrassment. Anakin discarded his emotions to the Force as quickly as they came and looked at Padmé reproachfully.

"Woman, you're going to be our ruin," Anakin complained in his mind, while Obi-Wan, standing at the foot of his bed, gave him a suggestive smile. Anakin glared at him but said nothing because Yaddle, Yoda, and Windu were also there.

"We are here to retrieve the Kyber crystals," Windu said, looking at the Death Stars on one side of the bed.

Anakin was surprised that they hadn't opened them themselves to get the crystals after seeing what he did with them. Yaddle shook her head, and Anakin guessed she was the reason they hadn't gutted the spheres for the crystals.

Anakin shrugged, and with a gesture, the four Death Stars separated, the crystals released, and they turned back into a metallic backpack. The guardian spheres, also present, entered inside, and then it closed. The crystals flew to Windu, who examined them before storing them.

"Discuss these artifacts, we must," said Yoda. Anakin supposed he wouldn't see another Kyber crystal from them in his life.

"I'll get others," Anakin said.

The Jedi weren't the only ones who had Kyber crystals. Yoda and Windu looked at him displeased. Yaddle smiled.

…

When the inquisitors left, Yaddle and Obi-Wan filled him in. As expected, the separatist faction was outraged by the invasion of Geonosis, and they didn't take a day to declare war.

Padmé was devastated because Palpatine had achieved his goal, and several members of her pacifist group joined the militaristic faction, proposing and approving the use of the clone army. Padmé had already spoken out on this matter, and after severing ties with those who betrayed her ideals, she continued to oppose the war and declared that she would seek peace.

There were also changes because, despite Dooku managing to escape, the clones took Geonosis and the droid factories there. Coupled with the capture of a separatist council member, this proved that the separatists were already planning a war.

Anakin also knew that losing that army and the factories was not in Palpatine's plans. Along with the blackmail or bribery of Padmé's supporters who betrayed her, this would weaken his power and facilitate his downfall in the future. Yaddle didn't mention anything about her injuries, although she knew he had healed them.

…

Upon returning to Coruscant and resolving some matters, the Jedi Council rewarded Anakin by naming him a Jedi Knight for facing Dooku and for his plan that saved the Council's reputation. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan was promoted to the rank of Master, something entirely unexpected for him and also for Anakin, as it was supposed to be achieved only with great feats or training several Jedi Knights, and Obi-Wan had barely done anything in the battle.

Finally, the elders of the Council swallowed five percent of their pride, which was as vast as Coruscant itself, and admitted that Anakin's visions had been accurate and had also aided them. Perhaps, had they paid attention earlier, the conflict could have been avoided. In the future, they would seriously discuss any vision Anakin had, meaning they wouldn't be dismissed outright and would strive to figure out if they were true.

Now Anakin watched as the few cruisers the Republic had loaded up with a clone army that would invade separatist systems, or so it was supposed to. However, Anakin knew that the separatists surpassed them in resources, and these ships would barely be enough to prevent their allied worlds from being swept away.

In the future, Palpatine would play his cards well to force the Republic to break its rules repeatedly, thereby increasing his power and allowing him to take extraordinary measures to strengthen his army and confront the separatists.

Palpatine would play with the indifference of people on both sides of the conflict, keeping the war distant from their realities, as it was being fought by clones and robots that ultimately had no effect on their consciences.

"Victory? No, a victory, this is not. War and death have fallen upon the galaxy, the shadow of the dark side upon us," said Yoda. The familiar words caught Anakin's attention as he looked at Yoda, just like his master and half of the council, while they observed the troops.

"War?" Anakin asked, drawing everyone's attention. Anakin shook his head. "This is not a war. It's a puppet show. On one side, droids that no one cares about, and on the other, clones who, despite being slaves and a clear violation of Republic laws, also don't matter to anyone.

"Thus, this conflict will escalate, and those involved will only think about profits, losses, and economic deals. Seeing it this way, it makes no sense until you realize that there is a third party involved in this puppet show, and that part is us, the Jedi.

"It will be our hands stained with blood in this conflict. Every stain will fall on our reputation. The separatists already see us as enemies, completely excluding us from any negotiating role that originally belonged to us.

"In conclusion, this is not a war; it's a puppet show to get rid of the Jedi Order and tarnish its reputation to the point that, if we lose, people will never trust us with their peace or trust us again. Even if we win, someone with enough influence could easily get rid of us, and since people will only see us as a faction in the conflict, they will simply consider us another casualty in the war," said Anakin.

The Jedi looked at him stunned. They were truly blind and didn't realize that the only ones involved in this matter were themselves, and it was evident that they would be the ones to suffer the consequences of this war.

"This possibility is concerning," said Yoda. For the first time, he didn't try to dismiss his words as assumptions or opinions.

"The clone army was ordered by Master Sifo-Dyas," said Windu.

"A Jedi who was killed shortly after ordering the creation of this army and a close friend of Count Dooku. This is not a reason to dismiss my thoughts, just one more piece of evidence that the Council ignored, and now it reveals itself as another nail destined for our coffin," said Anakin, leaving Windu stunned.

"That means Count Dooku has been conspiring against us since then," said Shaak Ti.

"Over the last ten years, corruption in the Senate has worsened, and discontent towards the Order has increased. Half of the Senate sees us as political opponents. Now, we are also enemies they must defeat," concluded Anakin.

…

The discussion continued, but he said no more, sensing the apprehension and tension of those who believed they had gained victory, only to look up and see the strings holding them. However, the puppeteer eluded them, though it wasn't too hard to see.

Anakin could only lament that, had he had the Council's support before this battle, the war simply would not have taken place. He would have captured all of Sidious's puppets, gathered in one place.

Of course, by blocking all the separatists, they would have faced a tougher battle, but he was sure they would have won because he would command the battle, and that was something no one in this world could surpass. But without the Council's support, he had to settle for a political victory, and the war had begun. He loathed war, and now that he was one with the Force, feeling its direct consequences, this would be a mess.