Meet You at the Dark Side

Chapter 4 - Battles on Tatooine

The suns are sinking below the horizon and the shadows lengthening. The sky is mostly red, painfully reminding Anakin even more of the last sunset he'd seen here. It doesn't help that there's been a cold, dark presence here the entire time. Anakin stops in his tracks as the shadows over it finally clear. He's here. The Jedi is not even surprised.

Artoo beeps behind him, sensing his master's concerns.

"It's Dooku. He's here." Anakin pauses in concentration, reaching farther into the Force. "Ahsoka's here too. We're going to have to do this differently." The Jedi turns, crouching in front of the droid. "You'll have to take Rotta from here."

Artoo beeps reluctantly, worried. It's dangerous.

"I know, I know," Anakin reassures it. "When Dooku comes here, you'll hide out of sight and sneak past him with Rotta. Go straight to the palace. I'll follow." Yes, he knows how dangerous it is. The last time he fought Dooku alone, he was electrocuted and lost his arm. But he knows how the Sith fights now. He'll hold him off; that's all that matters.

Minutes later, Anakin heads up to the top of the sand dune, Artoo safely hidden out of sight behind it. He'll figure something out. There very well might be a trap set farther up ahead, and Anakin can only hope he won't have to fight Dooku and Ahsoka at once. Ahsoka is relatively easy to fight, but Dooku? Not so much, and together, they could make a very good team.

The sky slowly transforms into its darker blue nighttime color, leaving only the horizon a faint pink. The moons are out, shining brightly when Anakin senses a rapidly approaching presence. A speeder zooms up and comes to a halt a short distance away. Dooku gets off, approaching the Jedi Knight. Anakin activates his blue lightsaber, returning Dooku's gaze with a cold stare.

"Surrender the Huttlet or die, Skywalker," the Sith Lord threatens.

Does he seriously think Anakin is going to listen to threats? He's an idiot. Dooku raises a hand when he finishes speaking, and a stream of blue-white lightning shooting out at Anakin. He instantly moves to block it with his lightsaber, positioning it in front of himself defensively once the onslaught ceases.

Dooku finally lets up when he realizes that he's not getting anywhere, drawing his own red blade. He lunges forwards and Anakin moves to parry his first blow, returning it with one of his own. The Count steps back and slashes at him again. Anakin jumps out of the way, Dooku's blade cutting pointlessly through the air thrice before Anakin lunges at him again.

"Your training has come a long way," the Sith remarks as their lightsabers clash a few more times. The blade slashes down towards his legs but he parries it easily, lightsaber clashing once more before Dooku finally takes a couple steps back.

"Now I remember. This was your home planet, wasn't it?" he remarks, "I sense your strong feelings." Anakin lowers his gaze, trying to force back the memories assaulting him, trying not to remember the last time he was here. The moons were out in a similar place when he'd gotten to the Tusken's hut, he remembers. And when he got inside... the images have haunted him relentlessly ever since that day. "Feelings of pain, loss," the Sith continues, snapping Anakin back to the present.

He's trying to throw him off balance, to distract him. Not happening. Anakin's anger is rising as the memories of the following days start resurfacing. How so many Jedi had been killed, how the war had started, how he'd lost his arm. Now, Anakin needs to distract Dooku so Artoo can get by with Rotta. And he has the perfect idea how to do it.

Dooku starts swinging at Anakin again while he's distracted, only to be met with a Force shove, sending him skidding backwards. Anakin remembers on Ansion when Luminara was manipulating sand particles, and well, that's what he's about to do. He's not as skilled as that, but he's the child of the Force. Nothing is impossible for him. A swirl of sand lifts itself from atop the hill, hurling towards Dooku.