Chapter 8: Geonosis

Anakin went to take a step forward. "Anakin, stay where you are," Bastila told him quietly as she stood behind him.

"They're going to kill her!" Anakin exclaimed quietly.

"If you go down there now that bounty hunter will kill her," she answered, gesturing to Jango who was on the other side of the arena.

"Blast it," Anakin muttered.

Anakin let out a deep breath as he looked down. "She'll be alright," she insisted. His heart dropped more when he saw a nexu come out of it's cage.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," he muttered.

"Just wait," Bastila insisted.

Anakin became extremely anxious watching this creature go after Padmé. "I have to do something…" he insisted when she grabbed his arm.

"Anakin stop, now," she ordered, looking at her apprentice.

"This is different than any other mission, Bastila! It's Padmé!" he exclaimed quietly.

"Think clearly and rationally like I taught you. If you go after her now, Jango has a clear shot at her," she answered.

Anakin watched impatiently as Padmé climbed to the top of the pillar. "If anything, she's more in control about what'll go on with that Nexu than Obi-Wan does with that Acklay," Bastila added.

"Not funny," Anakin answered irritated.

Bastila gripped his arm as they watched Padmé hit the creature with her cuffs, but then the Nexu kept climbing and Anakin watched in horror as the cat like creature clawed Padmé's back. "Padmé!" he exclaimed quietly.

"She's alright, she's alright Anakin," she assured him.

"That thing's going to kill her," Anakin answered.

"Anakin, relax, think," she told him.

Letting out a deep breath, Anakin closed his eyes. Bastila nodded to see that he was finally listening. "She's alright," she assured him. He nodded his head slowly.

Fisto had calmed the creature moving to attack him and now all three of them were on creature's back. "Wait for it," Anakin told himself softly, "wait for it…" He watched as droidekas surrounded them. "Wait for it…" Anakin murmured. Bastila smiled as she removed her cloak after placing her black skin tight mask on. Anakin reached up, pulling off his hood as he jumped up on the ledge.

Anakin pulled out his lightsaber before he jumped down from his hiding place. Running over at full speed, he started destroying the droids surrounding them only to have more droids coming out. "Milady," Anakin called, tossing a blaster to Padmé. Padmé caught the weapon and began firing at several droids. "Is this how you keep yourself safe?" he asked with a half-grin.

"What can I say, not fair that I can't get in on the fun," she answered.

Anakin grinned before he blocked a blast aimed for Padmé's head and she destroyed a droid that aimed at Anakin's back.

Obi-Wan grinned as he and Bastila were now back to back. "Politicians bore you already Master?" he asked.

"I can't only stand Political Idiocy for so long Master Kenobi," she answered as she blocked several attacks, "and please stop calling me that."
"Forgive me, Bastila," he told her before grabbing her arm pulling her closer so he could lean forward and she rolled across his back while Force pushing several droids back.

Anakin swung his lightsaber around, destroying several droids with their own blaster shots. They were suddenly all surrounded by hundreds of droids, forcing him to pull Padmé around his back while backed up against a pillar. "Any other ideas?" Obi-Wan asked. Bastila and Anakin smiled as they raised her hands to the air, suddenly Force lightning dropped from the sky, destroying the droids around them.

Padmé bit her lower lip as more droids came out. "Any other bright ideas?" Fisto asked.

"I think we'll be alright," Bastila replied as the Jedi came out of their hiding places.

With all the Jedi there to help now, they were able to fight the droid army that was ambushing them. Padmé started riding one of the creatures that brought her into the arena in the first place while Anakin rode in the back, blocking blaster bolts aimed at him.

Their plan didn't last long since they were knock off the chariot and they ended up using it as shelter from some blasts. "I got Obi-Wan's distress signal and I thought you were captured too," Padmé told him before firing another shot.

"And here I thought you hated violence," he commented with a half-grin.

"I just call this aggressive negotiations," she replied with a smile.

Anakin laughed before he had her duck down and blocked a shot aimed for her. Padmé rolled across the ground to dodge a few blasts when she was face to face with a droid. Reaching up, she kicked the droid in the chest before blasting its head off its shoulders. Anakin grinned from behind his helmet before he hurried his way through the throng of droids and Jedi to reach her.

Just as he pulled her up, he felt a tremor rush through him. He looked over to see Jango Fett fighting against a Reek. He looked over to see that his son wasn't too far away watching the fight. Just as Jango killed the Reek, he saw Windu go to attack the man. "No!" Anakin exclaimed quietly running over to them. Right when Windu went to take a swipe at the bounty hunter's head, Anakin force pushed the man backwards to safety.

"What are you doing?" Windu demanded looking at Anakin.

"The man has a son!" Anakin answered, gesturing over to the boy who was sitting in his hiding spot with wide eyes.

Anakin looked back at the Jedi Master. "He's not like a blasted droid! He has family," he told him before backing up to go back to Padmé. Windu stood there stunned, unsure of what to say but then he had to block several blasts aimed for him.

Jango however, had stood up from the ground still stunned of what had just happened. "Dad!" his son called, running to him. Jango grabbed his son up, looking up at Dooku before looking back at the man who just saved his life from a Jedi.

"We're leaving Boba," he told him as he lifted the boy up from the ground and flew off with his jet pack go to back to the ship.

Just then, everything stopped. The droids stopped firing, surrounding everyone. Anakin looked over to see Obi-Wan checking a fellow Jedi's pulse, but found that he had joined the force. Padmé looked at her fiancé, letting out a deep breath. "It'll be alright," he said softly.

"Master Windu you have fought gallantly, worthy of recognition in the archives in the Jedi Order. Now…it is finished. Surrender and your lives will be spared," Dooku informed his new prisoners.

"We will not be hostages to be bartered Dooku," Windu answered.

"Then…I'm sorry old friend," Dooku told him.

Anakin moved to stand in front of Padmé as she looked up. "Look!" she called out. They looked up as Drop Ships came down into the arena, revealing the large army of clone troops.

Even though relieved that they had help, Bastila was also disappointed with the fact they went ahead with giving the Chancellor everything. "Bastila!" Obi-Wan called when a droid tried to ambush her from behind. Bastila jumped over the droid's head, landing behind it, and cut the machine in two with her lightsaber.

They ran over to the drop ship that was waiting for them. Anakin jumped in and helped Padmé up while Obi-Wan did the same with Bastila before they flew off.

They gripped the handles in front of them as they lifted off from the arena. "Aim right above the fuel cells," Anakin called out.

"Good call Justice," Bastila answered.

Anakin nodded before he kept his eye out for Dooku. They looked below to see the large battle breaking out. A Federation Starship was brought down and all of a sudden they couldn't see through the cloud of sand and dirt that had flown up into the air. Just as they came out of the cloud of dust, Obi-Wan peered out from the side. "Look over there!" he called out.

Anakin looked at where Obi-Wan was pointing. "It's Dooku! Shoot him down!" he called out.

"We're out of rockets sir," the pilot answered.

"Follow him then," Anakin ordered.

"We're going to need some help," Padmé put in.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "There isn't time, Justice, Helena, and I can handle this," he answered. Anakin glanced at Padmé, gripping her hand with his free hand when they suddenly heard blaster sounds coming from behind. Just as they made their way over a sand dune, a blast hit the ship, making them skid over the top of the hill.

The impact made both Padmé and Anakin lose their grips, forcing them out of the ship. "JUSTICE! PADME!" Bastila shouted as she watched her two friends fall over the edge. She glanced at Obi-Wan with horrified eyes.

"Should we stop?" a pilot called out.

"No! Follow the speeder," Bastila answered.

Anakin got to his feet when he hurried down the hill. "Padmé," he called, placing his hands on her face, "Padmé, can you hear me?" Padmé groaned softly, wincing in pain. "Padmé," he called again.

"Ani…" she groaned.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded her head slowly as he helped her up. "Ow…ow…sore," she whimpered.

"Sorry, sorry, can you stand?" he asked.

Padmé got up with his help, letting out a deep breath. "We need to get the hanger," she told him. Anakin nodded before they went to get a ship.

Bastila and Obi-Wan ran to the hanger to see Dooku getting ready to leave. "You're going to pay for all the Jedi you killed today Dooku," Bastila informed the Sith Lord, her voice cold. Dooku looked over at the two friends.

"Two against one, doesn't seem fair," Dooku commented with a half-grin.

Before Bastila could help Obi-Wan fight Dooku, several droids came out of their hiding places. While she was fighting off the droids, Obi-Wan slowly approached the Count. "As you can see my Jedi powers are far beyond yours. Now…back down," Dooku told Obi-Wan while firing Force lightning at him, but Obi-Wan lifted his lightsaber, absorbing the energy.

"I don't think so," he answered.

Bastila blocked several blasts aimed for her, Force pushing several droids back. One droid was relentless. She lifted the droid off the ground then shooting lightning into it. The machine became nothing and she tossed it aside. One droid knocked her off her feet, making her raise her lightsaber and stab it through it's stomach when it leaned over her. She saw out of the corner of her eye Dooku cutting Obi-Wans' arm and leg with his lightsaber, making the Jedi Master fall to the ground.

Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the Count raise his lightsaber over his head to deliver the final blow. "NO!" she shouted as she leapt over, blocking the attack.

"Well, you're impressive enough to fight off a few droids alone, but that doesn't mean anything," he commented.

"We will see how effective my fighting is," she answered.

Bastila activated the other side of her lightsaber, blocking Dooku's attack aimed for her middle. She aimed for his shoulder, but he blocked it. She jumped over his head when he tried to use the Force push at her. Dooku turned around to block an attack aimed at him. Bastila tried to throw a kick at him, but he backed up, aimed his lightsaber at her middle again that she easily blocked with her lightsaber.

Bastila ducked down a second time a lightsaber was aimed at her, aiming at the Count's legs. Dooku jumped over her attack, aiming a kick at her face. She rolled across the floor thrusting the other side of her lightsaber at him. The older man was suddenly having a harder time trying to keep up with the woman. He suddenly glanced over at the still injured Jedi Master still lying on the floor.

Bastila's eyes widened when she saw the electrical pillar get lifted off the ground and went to collapse on the man. She reached up with one hand, grabbing the pillar before it could crush him. Dooku glared at her, but was also surprised that she had the power to grab this massive object with one hand while fighting a Sith Lord with her free hand.

Throwing the pillar across the hanger, she let out a gasp when she realized her mistake and the hanger began to cave in. "See you in the Afterlife," Dooku sneered as he escaped to his ship. Bastila ran over to Obi-Wan dropping to her knees beside him.

"Obi-Wan can you stand?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

Bastila wrapped her arm around his back while getting him to wrap his arm around her shoulders before they started hurrying out of the hanger.

Anakin and Padmé jumped off the drop ship just as Dooku's ship was seen leaving the hanger. They turned around, aiming their weapons at him. Anakin looked over to see Bastila helping an injured Obi-Wan out of the hanger. "Dooku's gone, we have to go the place is collapsing," Bastila told them as they got onto the drop ship.

"Obi-Wan are you alright?" Anakin asked as he sat down.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he replied, nodding.

Bastila let out a sigh. "What about you two? Are you alright?" she asked.

"Some bruises, but we'll live," he replied.

Bastila nodded as they went back to the command center.

In the medical facility, Padmé hissed as Anakin assessed the scratches in her back. "It could be a lot worse," he commented at last. He was again dressed in his civilian clothes, having put his mask and armor away. Now, he was Anakin Skywalker, Senator Amidala's fiancé. Padmé winced as he started cleaning the injuries on her back.

"Ani stop touching my back," she told him.

"I have to take care of these before they get infected. You do have sand in the cuts from falling," he answered.

Padmé let out a sigh, keeping a blanket pressed against her chest just in case someone would walk in. The last thing she wanted was someone to see her naked torso. "Alright…a droid will be coming in with some bacta," he murmured. He rested his hands on her shoulders. "Nothing was more terrifying than seeing that Nexu try to kill you," he told her. She let out a sigh. "What made you come to Geonosis anyways?" he asked.

"Obi-Wan was in trouble and I thought because you two were on this mission together I thought you were in trouble too," she answered.

Anakin wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his forehead against her shoulder. "Just don't scare me like that again," he told her. She smiled a little.

"I'll try not to," she answered softly.

He kissed her shoulder once more and continued to hold her.

In another room, Bastila was taking care of Obi-Wan's injuries herself. "Bastila, I think the Jedi Healers can deal with this," he commented with a small grin.

"Yes well, your healers are slow about getting this taken care of," she answered with a sigh.

She glanced at him with a small smile. "You fought well," she added.

"You weren't so bad yourself," he pointed out.

"I've had over 3,000 years of practice," she replied with a small chuckle.

Obi-Wan smiled a little as she placed bacta on the burns. "There, you should be good as new in no time," she stated, stepping back.

"Thank you," he answered.

"You are welcome, now rest. You've had a busy few days," she pointed out.

"Yes ma'am," he once again answered as he watched her go.

While Bastila walked down the hall, she saw a young blond woman enter into Obi-Wan's room, fear evident in her eyes. She knew her, Siri Tachi, a very intelligent Jedi Knight. What made the former Jedi smile a little was the other emotion in her eyes as she went to see Obi-Wan, an emotion she herself once had for Revan...love. Smiling softly, she turned on her heel and left the medical unit. They may have won the battle on Geonosis, but now that Palpatine had gained Emergency Powers, it was the beginning of a war.