Geonosis is a dusty, desert-like planet. That is where Obi-Wan and I follow the Fetts to, after we make it seem like they blew us up in the middle of an asteroid field, that is. I personally like flying, when I'm not being shot at. Ben just hates flying in general.

We park our fighters just outside of a building. We creep in silently, I reach out with the Force to detect any presence, good or bad. What's on Geonosis? I haven't even heard of this planet before.

The deeper Ben and I explore, I begin to hear something. It sounds like...machinery? I follow Ben to an upper balcony. Below, machines are making other machines. This factory is building battle droids. What are they preparing for? War? Ben and I look at each other before quickly moving on. Where is the connection with Fett and this factory, this planet even?

Through our investigation, I pick up on presences. One is Force sensitive, and dark. Very dark. A semi-familiar dark that I don't want to come into contact with, or alert that Ben and I are snooping around. Ben pulls me out from the hall we're in to hide into a nook just outside of the hall.

"We must persuade the Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance to sign the treaty," says a low, booming voice. Ben and I look at each other again.

"What about the senator from Naboo? Is she dead yet?" This voice sounds more alien, but still speaks English. "I am not signing your treaty until I have her head on my desk."

"I am a man of my word, Viceroy."

I tense and begin to move out, but Ben holds his arm out to stop me. I glare at him but oblige and don't blow our cover. We wait patiently until the small herd moves on. We tail behind them at a considerable distance.

Ben and I find ourselves squatting overhead a council room, eavesdropping on a meeting. If this involves Padmé, I want to know every detail. The alien wants her dead.

"With these new battle droids we've built you, you'll have the finest army in the galaxy," says an alien, not the one who spoke about killing Padmé.

"As I explained to you earlier," says a man with whiting facial hair, and hair. He's where the dark presence is coming from. "I am quite convinced that ten-thousand more systems will rally to our cause with your support, gentlemen."

A second alien with a long neck says something unintelligible to my ears. It's possibly an agreement.

"The Techno Union army," says a robot, who in the middle of his sentence, makes a bunch of noises, "is at your disposal, Count."

"The Banking Clan will sign your treaty," says another alien with a long neck and pale complexion.

"Good," says the Count. Whoever that is. "Very good. Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support and when their battle droids are combined with yours we shall have an army greater than any in the galaxy. The Jedi will be overwhelmed. The Republic will agree to any demands that we make."

Not if we can stop it, the Republic won't, I think fiercely.

With this newly discovered knowledge, Ben and I slip out of the facility. We're back to our fighters. He immediately uses R4 to try and connect with members of the Jedi Council. So far, we've had no luck. The hair on my arms are standing on end. Something's watching us.

"Can we pick it up a bit, Ben?" I ask impatiently.

"I haven't heard that name in years," he says fondly, still focused on the transmission. He sits in the pilot seat of the fighter, meanwhile I'm standing beside it, wary.

"Well, we are still friends. I'd prefer to call you by an informal name in an informal setting. This qualifies." I look around.

"The transmitter is working, but we're not receiving a return signal. Coruscant's too far. R-Four, can you boost the power?"

The droid beeps. I take it as a no.

"We'll have to try something else. Maybe we can contact Anakin on Naboo. It's much closer. Anakin? Anakin, do you copy? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin?"

We get no answer.

"He's not in Naboo, R-Four," Ben says to the droid. "I'm going to try and widen the range. I do hope nothing's happened to him."

"Wouldn't we know if something had?" I ask. I'm tempted to reach out through the Force to get a status on Anakin, and Padmé while I think about it. If he ruins the one task he's been given, I will give him hell to pay. Padmé is the sister I've never had, I've protected her for at least a decade. He'll make me regret letting him protect her instead of me.

"That's Anakin's tracking signal all right," Ben finally says, "but it's coming from Tatooine. What in the blazes is he doing out there?"

"Tatooine?" I repeat. Why would he want to go back home?

Mom. Mom is why. He would go back to her. He would try and free her.

Ben climbs out of the fighter. "I told him to stay on Naboo. We haven't got much time. Anakin? Anakin, do you copy? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The nagging feeling of being spied on lingers. "We might need a plan B, and fast. If you feel what I feel, we might not have much longer before things get out of control."

"All right, then. Anakin, my long-range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Coruscant. Thea Skywalker and I have tracked the bounty hunter, Jango Fett, to the droid foundries on Geonosis. The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala. The Commerce Guilds and the Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming a—"

I cut off Ben's transmission by turning on my lightsaber. Rolling droids are gunning right for us.

"Wait," Ben says. "Wait." He ignites his saber too.

Together, we deflect the bolts. They're not from basic battle droids, either. These are being spewed from rolling droids, Droidekas. Stupid machines that, when they unfurl, they produce shields to protect their bodies.

I grit my teeth, wishing Ben or myself had the ground to use to destroy the droids. But the blasts overrun us. We're pushed away from the transmission, from our fighters. I'm sure what's transmitting now will hopefully give us help.

I turn around, faced with grisly, insect-like creatures. They hold blasters of their own, but instead of red bolts, green balls comes flying out. I protect Ben's backside as he protects mine. I yell as I feel a bolt catch on the back of one of my legs. That leg is shaking now, and now our insect-like enemies are hovering above us, continuously shooting.

Suddenly, I feel Ben knock into me, forcing the two of us over and onto the ground. The firing stops, but the threats surround us.

We have no choice but to be taken.

We aren't handcuffed. We are escorted to two separate cell rooms, which I detest greatly. I'm shoved forward by an insect-like creature, most likely a Geonosian, and hooked up to my shackles. Shackles which aren't even chains; they're cuffs, and I'm hovering in the air. Oh, and did I forget to mention I'm slowly turning in a circle while being held?

Yeah, fun times. Not.

I frown as my captors leave.

For the longest time, I'm left in silence. I have no idea what's happened to Ben on the other side of the wall. For all I know, he's being tortured. But I would feel it in the Force if he were. And he's not. So he's not being harmed. God help the people who laid a hand on him. I'd make sure they could never do such a thing again.

When the door opens, a single figure walks into the room. I recognize him as Count Dooku. He looks even older up close. Hair is an off-white color, though his facial hair seems to have a grayish tint. He's dressed in dark robes, and he screams Dark Side energy.

Initially, neither of us say a word. I'm not even sure where to begin with conversation, truthfully.

"I believe we've never met before," is Dooku's version of a greeting.

"Oh, we sort of have. You just weren't aware," I say back. "Thea Skywalker. Don't worry, I know who you are, so you don't need to tell me."

"You never had to introduce yourself. I know who you are, Thea."

I scoff. "Do you, now? Is it because you know that I am Senator Amidala's personal guard?"

The look on Dooku's face does not make me feel better. The look in his eyes tells me he knows me for a different reason...one which I don't want to hear out loud. "A certain Sith Lord told me about an apprentice who had the potential to fulfill a certain prophecy. But apparently, she didn't quite fit the qualification."

I swallow. "I would have thought he would have forgotten me, or better yet written me off as dead."

"Oh, you know better than that. As long as your presence can be felt in the Force, you're not declared dead."

So Darth Sidious can still keep tabs on me? He still is watching me? That's unnerving. Very unnerving. But he won't want me back. I wasn't wanted after a time, he wanted me executed by Maul. "What have you done with Obi-Wan, Dooku?"

"He is fine, I can assure you."

"I want to see him."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"Why? Afraid of what I'll see?"

"You know he hasn't been harmed. He told me a few interesting things though."

"And what were those said interesting things?"

"You two are tracking a bounty hunter, and your search led you here."

"He is here," I confirm. I search Dooku's eyes. "What else did you speak to him about?"

"Oh, I told him a certain truth that he refuses to accept. Perhaps you would be more...open-minded to seeing it, seeing as you were in training once to become a Sith."

I cringe. "What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about how one Sith Lord now has a hold on the Republic."

I shake my head. "You're speaking nonsense. We would know about it."

"We as in the Jedi? But you really can't consider yourself one, though you carry a saber. No, you walked away from your teachings to pursue a more...freeing career. Obi-Wan didn't believe what I said, either."

"It's because he knows better than to trust any word out of a Sith's mouth."

"And yet he trusts you."

"...I'm not a Sith. I got out of that trap with my life barely intact." I shake my head, trying to refocus. "The Jedi would surely know by now if a Sith Lord had a grasp on the Republic and was pulling the strings behind the scenes."

"Did you forget how powerful the Dark Side is, Thea? It's clouded the Jedi's vision."

I snort. "Impossible."

"Not impossible for such a powerful Dark Lord."

"Why are you telling me this, Dooku?"

"I want to help destroy the Sith."

"That's ironic, considering you reek of Dark Side." I wrinkle my nose. "And you, what, expect me to trust your word and side with you? You think I'm a fool? I'm sure Ben said no to that offer."

"Ah, someone seems rather attached to a certain Jedi Master." Dooku smirks. "I hear the sentiment. Is that why you walked away from the Jedi, Thea? To try and—"

"Your mind games don't work on me."

"I am playing no mind games, I am merely expanding on my observations."

"Words are just as dangerous without the Force influencing someone's mind."

"What if I told you that, should you choose to join me, I could have you released from here?"

"I'd sooner jump off a rooftop than go back."

Dooku frowns. "Then I'm afraid I cannot help you."

As Dooku leaves, I can only imagine what he has planned for Obi-Wan and myself. Knowing our luck, it isn't anything good.

**Oh, Dooku, you just gotta stir the pot, don't you?**