Part 4: Geonosis
People clash.
Enemies fight.
Differences are solved through violence.
Negotiations are meaningless.
People become ferocious, vehement.
Someone will die.
This is the outbreak of War.
I
Geonosis comes into view. Another desert planet, I think to myself as our ship heads at full speed to the ringed planet.
Anakin looks determined and focused as he pilots the ship through the planet's atmosphere. I cannot decide whether he is focusing to get to Obi-Wan faster, or to keep his mind off of the planet we just left. He seems troubled still.
I try to keep him calm by beginning conversation every now and then. I worry about Obi-Wan too, but Anakin seems to be fearful of him, rather than for him. I wonder if he truly believes Obi-Wan may reprimand him for what he did on Tatooine, or for going to Tatooine at all.
The closer we get, the more I notice Anakin is deliberately flying closer and closer to the ground. He weaves the ship in and out of towering rock formations, clinging to the curved sides of canyons. It makes me feel tense. I suppose he is just trying to avoid detection, however, the look on his face tells me that he thinks this is some kind of game or a test. It looks as though he's focusing on risky flying for his own pleasure.
I ask Artoo to pinpoint the location of where Obi-Wan recorded his message. When the coordinates show up on my control panel, I search nearby maps for areas to land in secrecy and keep our ship hidden.
"See those columns of steam straight ahead? They're exhaust vents of some type." I say to Aankin, pointing to several steam clouds that rise from a break in the rocky terrain far off in the distance.
Anakin sends the ship speeding straight at the steam columns. It's as if he's trying to drag every possible bit of steam out of the starship.
"That'll do," Anakin replies to me, steering the ship in a downward direction at full speed straight at the steam.
The ship flies through the steams and lands down at the bottom with ease. I turn to Anakin as he shuts down the engines.
"Look, whatever happens out there, follow my lead. I'm not interested in getting into a war here. As a member of the Senate, maybe I can find a diplomatic solution to this mess." I say to him professionally while wrapping Beru's sand colored cape around my chest again.
"Don't worry," Anakin begins while throwing on his own Jedi robe, "I've given up trying to argue with you."
We leave the ship together, passing the two droids, Artoo giving us an array of slight beeps and whistles, and head down the landing ramp together.
In silence, we walk across the metal floor grate and over to a set of large, iron doors at the end of the strip of ground. My boots make small, tapping noises that echo deeply and loudly throughout the cavern. Around us, the cavern is dark, damp, and secluded. Our ship is well hidden here. The steam cloud rises high above us.
By the time we get to the set of iron doors, I cannot help but think that something is wrong. Anakin's face shows that he is studying the environment, probably using the Force to locate any sign of life forms, both threatening or ally.
He presses a button on a small control panel to the side of the door, and it pops open and retracts into the air with a pump sound.
Together, we squat down and walk through the door and to a hall that is so dark it makes the outside cavern seem bright.
We take slow, cautious steps. I can hardly see a thing. Something about this place is making me feel uneasy. I suppose these are the underground cities.
The further we walk, the more strange the halls seem to be. I notice the surface of them seems to pulse and move. An ominous shiver runs through my body. I feel as though thousands of insects are crawling around me.
"Wait." Anakin says and freezes in place.
When we stop and study the pillars and walls of the hall, I want to scream. It is evident that some termite-like creatures live here, in these walls. They begin to detach themselves slowly in the shadows and scale the walls and ceilings.
In one, fluid motion, Anakin pulls out his lightsaber and turns to the three creatures that jump to attack him. I see him cut through them like butter and I dart forward, heading to a door at the end of the hall, passing by more winged insects that grow from the wall and crawl to Anakin.
The door at the end of the corridor rises open, just the same as the one from the cavern. Impulsively, I run out and onto a small, narrow walkway that is on the other side. It isn't very long, and I almost run right off of it. However, the most starling thing is the sight of an immense droid factory with thousands of crisscrossing and intertwining conveyor belts that move and operate below. Ten of thousands of battle droids are being made, right here, right now.
Anakin arrives behind me, looking down at the factory. The door suddenly falls shut, and we gasp in surprise as more winged creatures pour into the factory, and the walkway begins to retract.
I shriek, and try to grab Anakin's hand, but when the walkway gets too small, I slip and jump off, landing on a conveyor belt below with a thud.
"Padme!" I hear Anakin yell behind me, but I'm not fearful anymore, I'm determined.
The conveyor belt sends me closer and closer into the path of sever stamping machines. I forget about the winged insects that may be trying to attack me too, and I focus completely on making my way through the stampers.
As the first one approaches, I back up for a minute, waiting for it to stamp down. The moment it retracts back again, I crouch down and speed under it. Just barely, I make it out before it slams down to stamp again.
I turn around and the next stamping machine stands before me, moving faster and pressing heavier than the first. I trip on my feet slightly as I try to keep my balance on the moving conveyor belt.
The machine slams down, and once again I dart under it the moment it lets off and rises up.
It stamps down again, just as I make my way out of it and prepare myself as the conveyor belt carries me off to the next one.
I grunt as I duck down and run under the third and final stamper. It slams back down and catches the edge of my cape, but I run off once it's free and speed off, crouching under several more steaming machines and jumping over a dozen small, flimsy arms of welding machines.
I wonder about Anakin. I take a look around and scan what I can see for him. I do hope he's all right. There are so many twisting and turning areas of this factory. It's no wonder the Separatists are straying from the Republic with such confidence. With an army of this size on their side, they have all the power they need. If this army is functional, we are in trouble.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a winged creature fly in my direction and land just behind me. Startled, I turn around and try to fight it off. It grips both of my hands with its own and we are locked in a small, struggling fight, both of us trying to wriggle free.
I feel myself stumbling to the right. I can just barely feel the edge of the conveyor belt with my foot, but the Geonosian is stronger and forces me off the conveyor belt.
I scream in fright, but realize I fall right into a large, deep vat on a different path of the factory.
Where am I headed? Where is this taking me? I begin to panic and I try to grip the sides of the large, stone vat. Will I be able to climb out of it?
The more I try, the harder it seems to be. I get one or two successful grips, and then my hand slips, and I fall back to the curved bottom of the tub. I struggle to find more handholds to grip onto and pull myself up and out of the large vat, but it's useless.
I hear a roar coming from one direction. The vats in front of me must be nearing a filling station where molten iron will be poured into them.
I really begin to panic now. My hands become clammy and I struggle to grip onto the handholds I was able to reach before.
I've got to do something! I'm running out of time! I cry in my head, gritting my teeth and trying to climb yet again.
Suddenly the metal tube appears above my vat. It's lid slides open and I scream, expected the molten iron to pour in and kill me instantly. I didn't even have a chance to kiss Anakin one last time.
Before the iron can come out, however, the lid retracts and seals the opening up. Confused, I back away and stand in the center of the base, looking in all directions. Who stopped it? Who closed the tube before the iron reached it? Who saved me?
The tube disappears and I feel my stomach lurch as the image of the factory above me begins to grow smaller. I'm falling. The vat was released from its carrying arms on the assembly line.
It crashes with a thud to the grown and falls on its side. I stumble to its sloped side, tumbling down and out onto a walkway.
I regain my balance and stand up. The room is spinning and things are out of focus for a moment, but I am able to make out the images of winged creatures, too many to count, hovering around me, closing in, and taking me prisoner.
