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As Yoda dueled Count Dooku on Geonosis, Dooku used the Force to drop a silo onto Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Yoda stops the silo from hitting the two Jedi, and that gives Dooku more than enough time to run into his escape ship and leave.

The moment is from 4:19 through 4:41 in this video clip.

Yoda holds the silo in place for several seconds before moving it out of the way. He could have used that moment to shove the silo right up entry way of Dooku's spacecraft to prevent him from escaping.

We have seen Yoda move heavy objects with the Force very quickly on short notice. He could have destroyed the escape craft easily.

So why did Yoda let Dooku escape?

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    I kind of get the impression that Yoda was too busy keeping the silo from falling that he didn't think of doing anything else with it.
    – Bob
    Mar 27, 2017 at 2:40
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    Also, what in the world happened to "size matters not"?
    – Bob
    Mar 27, 2017 at 2:41
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    @Bob - Size matters not, but power does. Yoda is regarded as one of the most powerful Jedi ever, but even he has his limits. In terms of raw power, Anakin is far stronger. So although Yoda was able to stop the silo falling, it took nearly all his effort (think mass x acceleration x trying to stop that shit), and getting to change direction wasn't easy.
    – Tim
    Mar 27, 2017 at 2:49
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    @Tim Speaking of Yoda and power and mass x acceleration, you might want to read this. what-if.xkcd.com/3 It makes me laugh every time.
    – RichS
    Mar 27, 2017 at 2:52
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    I do love XKCD :-D
    – Tim
    Mar 27, 2017 at 2:59

2 Answers 2

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According to the script, Yoda is at the limit of his powers just holding the object (which the script identifies as a crane) away from Anakin and Obi-Wan; it seems that we can safely assume that any kind of finer control over it is out of the question.

COUNT DOOKU raises his arms and knocks YODA off his shoulders and then, with all his might, he uses the Force to pull on one of the cranes in the hanger. It comes crashing down on OBI-WAN and ANAKIN. But in the blink of an eye, YODA is under the crane, holding it up, using the Force. YODA closes his eyes and concentrates.

ANAKIN is unconscious, and OBI-WAN tries to get out from under the crane. The fallen crane trembles and starts to life. Behind it, the sound of the Sail Ship's engines are heard starting up.

YODA concentrates harder. Slowly, the crane rises. The SOUND OF THE ENGINES increases. YODA exerts every scrap of his powers. The crane lifts clear of ANAKIN and is thrown to the ground. DOOKU'S Sail Ship takes off. OBI-WAN and ANAKIN struggle to the exhausted YODA, but it's too late. The Sail Ship rises into the air and flies away. PADMÉ and a CLONE CAPTAIN with about TEN TROOPERS appear in the doorway.

Key phrases here are "YODA exerts every scrap of his powers" and "the exhausted YODA".

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  • Looks like the timing of events in the script is somewhat different than how it was portrayed in the show. The ship engines didn't start until after Yoda had held the silo/crane stationary above the Jedi.
    – RichS
    Mar 27, 2017 at 17:50
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Both novelisations concur that Yoda was motivated by a desire to prevent further risk of death to the two fallen Jedi (and presumably himself).

No decision was necessary. Too many Jedi have we lost today. Yoda bent his mind toward the crane, concentrating. The crane stopped abruptly in midair as if it had landed on some invisible table. Slowly, Yoda moved the crane away from Obi-Wan and Anakin, to an empty part of the hangar where it could settle safely to the ground.

Attack of the Clones: Junior Novelisation

And

Yoda grabbed the crane and held it fast, but in doing so, he had to release Dooku. The Count wasted no time, sprinting away, leaping up the ramp to his sail ship. As Yoda began to move the fallen crane harmlessly aside, the sail ship’s engine roared to life, and all three Jedi watched helplessly as Count Dooku blasted away.

Attack of the Clones: Junior Novelisation

Presumably dropping it on the ship could have caused it to explode in a confined space, killing them all.

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