Mission to Bakura (Clone Wars)

Jedi Masters Sora Bulq and Tholme undertook a mission to Bakura to locate Count Dooku's hidden base on Bakura shortly after the First Battle of Geonosis.
==The mission==
Upon arrival on Bakura, Sora Bulq and Tholme encountered Count Dooku and attacked him. As they engaged in a ferocious lightsaber battle, Dooku complemented Tholme for anticipating that he would return here, and for demonstrating the wisdom to bring along Sora Bulq. However, he quickly turned to gloating about his own superior power, attempting to intimidate Tholme into joining him. His efforts unsuccessful, Dooku blasted Tholme aside with a Force push and turned to Bulq.
Bulq responded to Dooku's taunting by speaking of all the Jedi that died in the Geonosian arena, stating that Dooku had fallen to the dark side. As Dooku fended off Bulq's frenzied Vaapad attacks, he claimed that Bulq separated the Dark and Light sides of the Force out of trained fear. He went on to state his own belief that with proper self-discipline, one need not fear the dark side. Commenting on Bulq's usage of Vaapad, Dooku said that the style got its power from the dark side, but claimed that the bridled anger of Vaapad was nothing compared to the full fury of the dark side.
As a demonstration, Dooku blasted Sora aside with Force lightning. Tholme quickly attacked, but Dooku fended him off, complimenting the Jedi for keeping up his lightsaber dueling skills and holding to the older styles of fighting. Stating that Tholme recognized the corruption within the Republic just as he did, Dooku again attempted to gain Tholme's allegiance. The Jedi quietly retorted that they didn't share the same beliefs, for if they had, the massacre on Geonosis would not have happened.
Despite being driven up a set of stairs, Tholme claimed he could feel Dooku's exhaustion after what happened on Geonosis, and stated that he would accept the Count's surrender. Dooku was quick to point out how wrong Tholme was, stabbing the Jedi through the shoulder before whipping around him, slashing him across the back and face and gouging out his eye.
Now at Dooku's mercy, Tholme was presented with the choice to join Dooku or die. Tholme chose death, and Dooku respected the Jedi's decision, collapsing a portion of the ceiling onto Tholme. Leaving Tholme for dead, Dooku telekinetically levitated Sora Bulq and left the room with him, believing the Weequay to be more receptive to what he had to say, considering his avid study of the dark side through Vaapad.
==Aftermath==
Over the course of the next few days, Tholme managed to free himself, lifting the rubble off his broken body with the Force… one rock at a time. Once free, he secured his arm in a makeshift sling and limped away. However, he himself admitted afterwards that were it not for Sora Bulq's aid, he would have died there. Bulq claimed that he had managed to escape Dooku and spent a great deal of time searching for Tholme.
The two managed to leave Bakura and return to the Jedi Temple for treatment, with Bulq being hailed as a hero for saving Tholme. However, Bulq used his newfound credibility to attempt to cause a schism within the Jedi Order, culminating in the Mission to Ruul, where his fall to the dark side and defection to the CIS was revealed. He would later become a powerful enemy of the Jedi throughout the Clone Wars.
During the later Siege of Saleucami, Bulq, in his dark side and rage-clouded state of mind, claimed right to take Tholme's life after saving it at Bakura.
==Appearances==
*Republic 72 
*Republic 73 
==Sources==
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==Notes and references==
Category:Battles of Bakura
Category:Duels
Category:Missions of the Clone Wars