Well, is it over, Daultay?

"Cease fire!" shouts Dofine frantically. "Cease fire! We surrender!"

A few seconds later, the intercoms announce that no, they do not surrender.

There aren't that many droids left in the room. Leaving Mundi and Koon to cover the hole, Fisto and Windu cut through the rest of the battle droids, and Ti reaches through the Force to snap apart a few droidekas one by one.

"TURN OFF THE DROIDS."

Dofine lets off a frightened squeal and hurries over to one of the control panels, where he presses a few buttons, and the droids all freeze.

It's over! Everything is fine! Everything is fine. Everything is fine. Everyth- DAMMIT THAT'S POISON GAS!

Well, at least it's the same poison gas Qui-Gon reported?

They have a plan for this! Plo Koon, whose mask can filter the air, stays behind, along with R2. The others run out, knocking over some battle droids in the process.

While fiddling with a few controls, Koon sends a message to both Naboo and the Order. The Trade Federation shouldn't pose much of a threat anymore.

Naboo has already noticed! Jar Jar is knocking over so many things and he's not even getting in trouble!

Oh, wait, that was Captain Tarpals's falumpaset. Now he's in trouble.

Yoda receives the message, but he doesn't check it. He's still at the funeral, and if that wasn't enough, he's now noticed the presence of Dooku.

Dooku, probably the only student of his who hates the Republic even more than Kina. Dooku, the only member of the Jedi Order he's ever watched leave. Dooku, who now rules an entire planet. Dooku, who never seemed to grasp that the Sith were evil.

Dooku, who trained Qui-Gon Jinn.

To say that Kina 'hates the Republic' is...neither very wrong, nor very right.  Kina likes the ideals of the Republic, those she knows about at least.  She does not like the present implementations thereof.  But it's not like she's been drawn into debates thereupon such that anyone would know.

And she, too, noticed Dooku.

Dooku isn't looking in her direction. Even when the body's gone, he's still watching the place where it was, his fists clenched with his fingers digging into his palms, rage burning in his eyes.

"...You look like you're having a time of it.  ...you knew Master Jinn?  I...he was going to take me as his Padawan.  I'd known him for a week.  And then he went out to celebrate Obi-Wan's knighthood, and...I don't know if I should tell you who I believe is responsible, but...they shot him with a rocket.  ...I don't think he's actually gone.  Even if he's dead.  But that doesn't really help.  Not...seeing him like this.  It hurts, doesn't it?  But...he wouldn't, doesn't, want that to be his mark on us.  So honor his life.  Don't get lost in his death.  You're...feeling a lot of anger, and - maybe that's justified, but...is it helping anyone?"

"No," mutters Dooku. "No, it's not." He looks a little less heated, now. "Is my anger helping anyone. That's not a question a Jedi's ever seemed to ask before."

"The Sith did this, Count," Obi-Wan snarls. "The Sith killed Qui-Gon. Are you going to start another of your speeches on how we need to be open to learning their methods?"

"Obi-Wan," Yoda says, quietly, although he's completely right.

Dooku sighs. "Contrary to popular belief, I never denied the Sith were evil, Kenobi. I would say this only hastens the need to find what our enemies are doing, and do it better."

"There's no our," Obi-Wan snaps.

"...Everyone - please.  Let's...Qui-Gon would not want us snapping at eachothers' throats.  Especially not now.  We're - we're all grieving.  Let's not burn bridges over his pyre.

"Count Dooku," she's so glad C3PO is around to tell her who this not-a-Jedi is, "would you perhaps be interested in visiting the gardens?  It's a bit more private.  I can walk you there, if you'd like a guide."

Force preserve her, this is...not a good idea.  But - Qui-Gon would not want a fight at his funeral ever.  So this needs to be defused before it can explode.

Dooku nods. "If you wish, then yes." Avoiding Obi-Wan's glare, he follows Kina in the direction of the gardens.

Oh no. Kina should not be talking to Dooku of all people. Yoda briefly considers spying on them, but no, she could sense him, that wouldn't work. Hopefully she'll have enough sense not to fall for whatever he tries to tell her?

"I have a bad feeling about this," voices Obi-Wan.

Yoda is, frankly, welcome to spy on them if he likes; Kina doesn't feel very happy about this plan either and she's not hiding that unhappiness from Yoda.

Nonetheless, this is the only solution she has that keeps Qui-Gon's funeral from being marred with fights.

So, to the gardens they go, Kina wending her way through to one of the quieter, isolated ones and placing C3PO as a guard against non-emergency intrusion.  "I don't think Master Jinn ever mentioned how you knew him, to me."

"He was my apprentice, many years ago," Dooku replies. "Back when I was a Jedi."

"Mmhmm?  Do you have any funny stories from when he was a Padawan?"  Light conversation.  Light conversation.  "I'd ask about your leaving, but now is not the time to bring up old wounds, not when our enemies deal us new ones.  Not to mention that I can probably fill in most of the details, already.

"...I don't think the Dark Side of the Force is...aligned.  With what we want to do with the Force.  It's made to - break everyone that touches it, and especially its own practitioners.  I've seen enough of their lives, and from their own perspectives, that I'm rather confident of that.  Anything good it does, I suspect to be entirely incidental, and won at costs most likely far outstripping the benefits earned."  She's looked up the drug that the Sith Lord claimed.  It's not curative, it's an addictive substance, and the side effects are often bad enough that pilots still can't fly.  "Especially if you lose control.  And eventually, you will, no matter how calm and in control you think you are.  I saw that personally."

This is not light conversation.  Why is she doing this.