A/N: I own none of the characters, they belong to the great George Lucas. Lucky him! But, I do own Zankou, Ghanima/Chani and Alia (just three names which I'm borrowing from Frank Herbert's Children of Dune) so no stealing!

READ NOTE ON PREVIOUS CHAPTER!

Chapter 52

A huge roar filled the Geonosis Execution Arena, the blinding sunlight filling the arena as the cart holding Padmé and Anakin trundled to the center, where Obi-Wan was chained to one of four upright posts that are three feet in diameter. The great stadium was packed with tier upon tier of yelling Geonosians.

The cart stopped, and Padmé and Anakin were taken down, dragged to posts to be chained to them. Anakin was in the center, next to Obi-Wan who watched with discontent. As she walked, Padmé pulled a wire from her clothing and stealthily placed it in her mouth.

"I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten my message," Obi-Wan commented as his Padawan was moved to a pillar.

"I retransmitted it as you requested, Master," Anakin explained calmly, then thought for a moment. "Then we decided to come and rescue you."

"Good job," he retorted with mock enthusiasm as Anakin and Padmé's arms were pulled high above their heads, and the cart drove away.

There was another roar as Poggle, Dooku, Viceroy, the Fetts, and the Dignitaries arrived in the Archducal Box and took their places. Ghanima was the last to arrive on the balcony, which gave her a clear view of the crowded arena. Locking eyes with little Boba, she smiled and winked at him, making him smile back. He really was a cute little boy. Standing on Dooku's left behind Viceroy, she could have sworn that she saw Obi-Wan and Anakin look up at her with malice. They just didn't understand, but they would soon.

"The felons before you have been convicted of espionage against the Sovereign System of Geonosis," Sun Fac announced as the arena finally quieted down. "Their sentence of death is to be carried out in this public arena henceforth!" The crowd roared and cheered at the dark news. In the box, Poggle rose and the crowd became quiet again.

"Let the executions begin," he shouted and the crowd went wild.

From different gates around the arena, three monsters were driven in. One was a Reek, a large bull-like creature, another was a Nexu, a lion like-like creature, and the last was an Acklay, a kind of dino-lobster. Picadors carrying long spears, and riding Orrays drove them in. The Picadors poked the monsters toward the center, and then retired to the perimeter.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Anakin muttered to himself as he stared at the beasts.

The monsters tossed their heads, looking around, roaring or screeching. They soon caught sight of the three captives, and started moving toward them. Padmé began to use the wire she concealed to pick the lock on one of the hand restraints. She soon freed one hand and turned around, pulling herself up by the chain to the top of the post.

"You take the one the right. I'll take the one on the left," Obi-Wan ordered.

"What about Padmé," he asked incredulously. They couldn't just forget about her!

"She seems to be on top of things," he commented, nodding over to her pillar. Anakin looked over and saw Padmé climbing her pillar. Within moments, she was standing on top it, trying to pull the chain free.

Anakin couldn't help but smile, but his attention was drawn from her as the Reek charged at him. He jumped up, and the beast hit the post hard as Anakin landed onto its back, wrapping part of his chain around its horn. The Reek backed off, shaking its head angrily, which tore the chain from the post. Obi-Wan ducked around the post as the Acklay charged. It knocked the post flat, sending Obi-Wan sprawling.

Dooku, though amused with the whole display, looked back at Ghanima to see her reaction. Her face was as blank as Jango's helmet. She didn't even look like she cared that the Acklay crunched the post between its claws. Unfortunately, that move caused the chain to be freed. Obi-Wan leapt up and ran towards one of the Picadors, the Acklay taking odd after him.

The Nexu arrived at Padmé's post and reared on its hind legs. On top though, Padmé struggled to tear the chain free. The Nexu roared, displaying wicked, dripping fangs. In the Archducal box, Viceroy beamed and rubbed his hands gleefully. Back in the arena, Obi-Wan ran at the Picador causing the Orray to rear up. He grabbed the Picador's long spear and pole vaulted over him. The chasing Acklay smashed into the Orray and went down. The Picador tumbled onto the sand, where he was grabbed by the Acklay and crunched.

Anakin's Reek started to buck as it charged around the arena with the Padawan hanging on for dear life. He whirled the free length of chain around his head and cast it into the Reek's mouth. It's jaws clamped hard on the chain, and Anakin yanked hard on the chain, turning the Reek and beginning to ride it more easily.

The Nexu soon reached the top of the post as it dug its claws into the post, and took a swipe at Padmé. She turned to avoid the attack, but the claw barely caught her shirt ripping it off, and leaving superficial claw marks across her back. She hit the creature with her chain, and it backed off down the pole. Padme jumped off the post into the air, swinging around on the chain and whacked the beast hard on the head with both her feet. It tumbled back onto the sand, and Padmé climbed back up the pole, scrambling to the top.

"Foul! She can't do that! Shoot her or something," Viceroy fumed from Archducal box.

Obi-Wan ran out from behind the fallen Orray and threw the spear at the Acklay, hitting it in the neck. It let out a terrible screech and Obi-Wan smiled for a moment, believing his plan was successful until the beast turned on him. Elsewhere, the Nexu sprung up and made to leap up at Padmé again. She finally managed to work the chain loose as Anakin came charging up on the Reek, asking if she was okay.

"Sure," she gasped, nodding easily as if nothing was wrong. Anakin yelled for her to jump as the Nexu sprung up.

Padmé leapt from the top of the post to land on the Reek behind Anakin. The Reek charged away, around the arena, the Nexu bounding after it. The Reek passed the wounded Acklay and Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master ran after them, and jumped on the back of the Reek behind his Padawan and Padmé. In the Archducal box, Viceroy turned angrily to Dooku.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be! Jango, finish her off," he ordered, but Dooku motioned for the bounty hunter to stay put. "You do it then, Jedi," he shouted at Ghanima, but she didn't need Dooku to tell her to stay put.

"I don't take orders from you, imbecile," she replied, ignoring him and watched as Boba enjoyed the spectacle.

"Patience, Viceroy…she will die," Dooku assured him, smiling enigmatically, referring to Padmé. At that moment, Droidekas rolled to the center of the arena where they transformed and surround the Reek and contained the prisoners.

P.S.: Three pages total.