Jenica watches in horror as the droids march on the Ebon Hawk she sees Obi Wan come flying out of the ship as the belly cannon starts to chatter out destruction. Arnine and Teefive are firing at target after target, but as Kenobi moves further into the mass of droids this becomes a mistake as suddenly several droids all fire stun rounds that he can not push away as he is reflecting the blaster fire directed at him. He goes down as Jenica gasps and Arnine and Teefive are quick to go down as well. Too quick if she saw it right.
This was one of the things she had talked with Zerdy about if the ship ever got attacked. Zerdy would use the belly cannon while the other fought and if she went down it was their job to play dead. If she was killed it would not matter and they would be scrapped or go to a new owner or in a better scenario they would be left where they fell and maybe they could help her or get help if she survived such an incident. Just this time Kenobi was her. The Droidekas and other heavy battle droids moved away from the ship leaving only the B1 types to guard the ship. She sighed hoping they would leave the ship alone and vanished as she sped off to follow the one who captured Kenobi.
Anakin pilots the ship close to the ground, weaving around towering rock formations.
"See those columns of steam straight ahead? They're exhaust vents of some type."
"That'll do." He pilots the craft straight down into a column, flying through the steam, and landing at the bottom. They both prepare to leave the ship.
"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."
"Don't worry. I've given up trying to argue with you." Artoo Whistles plaintively as if he is sighing. Anakin looked around for a second then they both left the ship.
"My sad little friend. If they had needed our help, they would have asked for it. You have a lot to learn about humans." Both of them watch as they leave the ship.
Anakin and Padme enter the stalagmite city. They stop, looking around in wonder at the emptiness. Then they move on wondering if they will find anyone.
Artoo stands in front of Threepio, who is fussing about.
"For a mechanic, you seem to do an excessive amount of thinking. I'm programmed to understand humans." Artoo beeps in a questioning manor.
"What does that mean? That means I'm in charge here!"
Artoo trundles out of the ship and down the landing ramp. Threepio follows him out of the ship.
"Wait! Where are you going? Don't you have any sense at all?" Artoo makes a rude noise.
"How rude! Please wait! Do you know where you're going?" Artoo bleeps at Threepio. From there nothing seems to go right for any of them as Anakin and Padme are attacked and hounded down into a working factory by the Geonosians and Threepio looses his body and gains a B1 Battloid body. After escape several different dangerous events Padme is surrounded by Geonosians while Anakin is confronted by Jango Fett who drops in with the support of three Droidekas hoping he would be able to kill a Jedi today being foiled as the Jedi had lost his lightsaber at the very end. Only Artoo was left free as he moved further into the factory.
Count Dooku walks into the cell holding Obi Wan. He is suspended in a force field, turning slowly as blue electric bolts restrain him. The Count circles him as they talk. He pauses feeling as if there is another presence in the room.
"Traitor!"
"Hello, my friend. This is a mistake and they've gone too far in their madness."
"I thought you were the leader here, Dooku."
"This had nothing to do with me, I assure you. It is the Geonosians. I promise you I will petition immediately to have you set free."
"Well, I hope it doesn't take too long. I have work to do."
"May I ask why a Jedi is all the way out here on Geonosis?"
"I've been tracking a bounty hunter named Jango Fett. Do you know him?"
"Geonosians don't trust bounty hunters."
"Well, who can blame them, but he is here, I can assure you."
"It's a great pity that our paths have never crossed before except fleetingly, Obi Wan. Qui Gon always spoke very highly of you. I could use his help right now."
"Qui Gon Jinn would never join you."
"Don't be so sure, my young Jedi. He may already have. You forget that he was once my apprentice just as you were once his. He knew all about the corruption in the Senate, and I may or may not have told him the truth as I know it."
"The truth?"
"The truth. What if I told you that the Republic was now under the control of a Dark Lord of the Sith?"
"No, that's not possible. The Jedi would be aware of it."
"The dark side of the Force has clouded their vision, my friend. Hundreds of Senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious."
"I don't believe you. The shroud of the dark side no longer clouds the Jedi Temple. We would see it, but I do wonder, if you know Sidious, if it is true, then who is Tyranus?"
"Still clouded just not so simple. The Viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with Darth Sidious, but he was betrayed ten years ago by the Dark Lord. He came to me for help. He told me everything. The Jedi Council would not believe him. I tried many times to warn them but they wouldn't listen to me. Once they sensed the Dark Lord's presence, it would then be too late. You must join me, Obi-Wan, and together we will destroy the Sith."
"You didn't answer my question, who is Tyranus?"
"I know who he is, but you will only find out if you join me?"
"I will never join you, Dooku."
"Four thousand."
"What?" Dooku turns to leave.
"It may be difficult to secure your release." Obi Wan is left hanging there to puzzle over what the Count meant by four thousand. Then it came to him like a brick to the head and it scared him. A presence brushes him and then fades before the door to the cell closes.
Count Dooku sits at a large conference table with Padme on the far side. Anakin stands behind her with four Geonosian Guards standing behind him. Jango Fett stands behind Count Dooku, and six Geonosian Guards stand behind him. The air is thick with suspicion and distrust a silent battle of two politicians is about to begin.
"You are holding a Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am formally requesting you turn him over to me, now."
"He has been convicted of espionage, Senator, and will be executed according to Geonosian Law. In just a few hours, I believe." Count Dooku smiled seeing her shocked reaction and the angered look that Padawan Skywalker barely held in check.
"He is an officer of the Republic. You can't do that."
"Geonosis is no longer a member of the Republic. The Geonosians don't recognize the Republic here, Senator, but if Naboo were to join our Alliance as a founding member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, I could easily hear your plea for clemency."
"If I don't join your Alliance, I assume this Jedi with me will also die?"
"I don't wish to make you to join our cause against your will, Senator, but you are a rational, honest representative of your people and I assume you want to do what's in their best interest. Aren't they fed up with the corruption, the bureaucrats, the hypocrisy of it all? Aren't you? Be honest, Senator."
"The ideals are still alive, Count, even if the institution is failing."
"The ideals that you speak of died in the Republic thirty years ago. You believe in the same ideals we believe in! The same ideals we are striving to make prominent, but the Republic will no longer act on the ideals of only a few and I do mean a few hopeful Senators."
"If what you say is true, you should stay in the Republic and help Chancellor Palpatine put things right."
"The Chancellor means well, Milady, but he is incompetent. He has promised to cut the bureaucracy, but the bureaucrats are stronger than ever, no? He is the center of the problem. The Republic cannot be fixed, Milady. It is time to start over. The democratic process in the Republic is a sham, no? A shell game played on the voters. The time will come when that cult of greed, called the Republic, will lose even the pretext of democracy and freedom."
"I cannot believe that. I know of your treaties with the Trade Federation, the Commerce Guilds, and the others, Count. What is happening here is not government that has been bought out by business, it's business becoming government! I will not forsake all I have honored and worked for and betray the Republic."
"Do you really? Were you in the meeting I was just in? What treaties you know of are no longer there."
"What treaties have you made Count Dooku?"
"Ones that will serve the CIS in protecting itself from the corrupt Republic and their lap dogs of the Jedi."
"I do not have the authority to join you, and you know that."
"Do you not? Are you not a senator for the entire sector of Chommell?"
"Such a decision could only be made by all thirty six prime members and a majority of the forty thousand dependencies. I can not betray the Republic or the people I represent."
Then you will betray your Jedi friends? Without your cooperation I can do nothing to stop their execution."
"And what about me? Am I to be executed also?"
"I wouldn't think of such an offense. But, there are individuals who have a strong interest in your demise, Milady. It's purely personal, and they have already paid great sums to have you assassinated. I'm sure they will push hard to have you included in the executions. I'm sorry, but if you are not going to cooperate, I must turn you over to the Geonosians for justice. Without your cooperation, I've done all I can for you."
"Take them away." The silent Arch Duke Poggle the Lessor finally spoke. It took no time at all that they were tried on a bunch of false charges to include damaging commercial property which was true. The worst being the wanton death and destruction of several dozen Geonosians which was also true. Jenica sighed she had retrieved Obi Wan's lightsaber and Anakin's broken blade, but at no point could she find that she could free both Kenobi and now Anakin and Padme. What were they doing here anyway? Had they not come it would have been easy to get to Kenobi and then escape.
Sure the Ebon Hawk was under guard, but they could not see her or detect her and she was strong enough to conceal them both, but not with Anakin and Padme in the picture. The tiles were falling and not in the direction that Jenica could control them. The only thing that might play in their favor was that they were going to have a slim chance as they are to be executed in an arena. Having to fight something would be the best way to survive. Just being taken to an arena and shot being the worst.
I follow them and I am not surprised that the court room is not far from the arena if it even was such a chamber of justice. The tunnel felt fully of the gloom it represented as Jenica thought desperately of what she could do to free them. I see the driver getting into the cart and it is too late to come up with a plan. I listen.
"Don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life." Wait what did she say?
"What are you talking about?"
"I love you."
"You love me? I don't understand I did everything I could not make you fall in love with me."
"You did not do this Annie, I did, and I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway. My love for you is a puzzle, Annie, for which I have no answers. I can't control it, and now I don't care. I truly, deeply love you, and before we die I want you to know." Padme leans toward Anakin and they kiss projecting their passion for each other and this feeling of love. Jenica watches them as they kiss in total shock that a Geonosian near her stirs bringing her back into focus. She feels the Force suddenly and it opens her eyes. The driver cracks his whip and pulls them apart as the Orray begins to move towards the bright like of the arena. Suddenly, there is a huge roar as they emerge into the arena. It is this point when she sees that Anakin still has his pouches full of ball bearings. Maybe there is hope yet.
The great stadium is packed with tier upon tier of yelling Geonosians. The cart trundles to the center, where Obi Wan is chained to one of four upright posts that are three feet in diameter. The cart stops before Padme and Anakin are taken down, dragged to posts, and chained to them. Anakin is in the center. Padme pulls a wire from her clothing and places it in her mouth. Jenica smiles feeling their powerful love for each other as she follows the cart out to the middle of the arena. There are four poles and three of them so I lean against the pole that is not being used and take a look at Obi Wan's belt and see he has his bearings as well. She nudges Obi Wan and he quickly looks around.
"I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten my message."
"I retransmitted it as you requested, Obi Wan. Then we decided to come and rescue you. Where is Jenica?"
"She is here and has avoided capture. Good job on my rescue." He did not add that he had felt the Force tell him to prepare and then suddenly tell him to wait. Now he knew why. Their arms are pulled high above their heads, and the cart drives away. There is another roar as Poggle the Lesser, Count Dooku, Nute Gunray, both Jango and Boba Fett to include the rest of the dignitaries file out onto the archducal viewing box and take their places as Sun Fac moves to the microphone as camera droids surround him.
"The felons before you have been convicted of espionage against the Sovereign System of Geonosis. Their sentence of death is to be carried out in this public arena henceforth." The crowd roars even louder. In the box, P Poggle the Lesser rises as the crowd becomes quiet.
"Let the executions begin!" The crowd goes wild.
"Get ready." is whispered in their ears. Padme looks around frantically for the voice she heard so close to her ear as different gates around the arena open and three monsters are driven in. A large Reek easily out weighing the other two beasts. The smallest but most vicious of the monsters is a Nexu. Which attacks a handler and tries to drag its victim away. The last is an Acklay very much the largest insect with legs that are as pointed as spears that snap at the handlers and their long electrospears as they are driven to the center. The handlers suddenly rush away to the sides as the three change their focus to the prisoners on the poles as the dirt around them starts to swirl.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Padme is frantically picking the lock of her chain.
"Take the one the right. I'll take the one on the left." She then climbs quickly up the pole as the dust swirls faster and slowly grows.
"What about Padme?" They both look at her as she reaches the top of the pillar she was formerly chained to.
" She seems to be on top of things and Jenica is doing something."
"She is here?!"
"The BB's."
"This is no time to play around." The three beasts suddenly move after them as the Reek charges.
"They are weapons Anakin use them." The BB's fly out and swarm the three beasts causing them all to stop and scream out in sudden fear. The Acklay is the first to reveal what happened as its eyes are seeping black ichor as it screeches loudly and thrashes its head about as the Nexu is crying out as its paws cover its eyes. The Reek put its head down and charged until it slammed into the stadium wall.
"This isn't how it's supposed to be! Jango, finish her off!" Jango does not move as Dooku waves for him to stay put.
"I am as confused as you are but be patience, Viceroy, she will die." A half dozen Droidekas enter the arena. Stopping and unfolding before suddenly twisting and turning around as their sensors begin to spark and burn. The confusion rolls through the assembled Geonosians as well as anger at being denied the show they had been promised. Three explosive pops are heard as the beasts neck explode outward. The handlers in the arena leave and then there is a rumble as nearly a dozen more beasts burst out onto the arena floor. Four Nexu, another Acklay, a Reek, a mudhorn, a pair of Anooba wolves, and two Gundarks. Other than the Reek and the mudhorn the rest looked afraid as they rushed out to the middle of the arena.
The roar that came out of the largest tunnel sent the beasts into a panic as more droidekas rolled into the arena from dozens of different points of the arena taking up a position along the wall as the second roar was nearly deafening as a large head revealed itself causing Anakin to moan.
"What is that?"
"A Krayt dragon." Obi Wan looked over at the large beast as reared up as the mudhorn charged it. As the mudhorn came close the dragon flipped in the air clamping its jaws on the charging beast and picked it up before flinging it in the path of the Reek who had started to charge as well causing both to tumble into a pile nearly rolling over one of the Nexu. The other Nexu and the Anooba skirted the edges but were forced back away from the walls by the shielded droidekas. The gundarks came right up to Obi Wan and Anakin as Padme cried above them. The beasts growled but their focus was on the Krayt dragon.
The two gundarks charged at the dragon, one moving to draw its attention while the other jumped on its back. Ripping into it flesh with its claws making the dragon roll and thrash kicking a mass of dust and flinging its blood up and into the crowd. Smelling the blood the Nexu and the Anooba rushed in to get their piece and vanished in the growing dust storm in the arena that obscured what was happening from the audience. Padme was suddenly on Anakin's chain and worked his hands free of the cuffs. Not thinking he kissed her as she dropped into his arms.
"Anakin what are you doing?"
"You didn't see that."
"I am sure I did." Anakin cringed just before he picked up Padme and set her on his shoulders to free Obi Wan.
"Obi Wan the dust is far too thick to have seen anything." Padme bluntly stated. His eyes grew in surprise, but flared as he suddenly felt his lightsaber in his hand.
"Jenica?"
"Shh, I am hunting dragons." With that they all looked to the dust ball as several Nexu went flying out of the pile then the Anooba and finally the Krayt Dragon as his roar shook the very stadium. Kenobi looked in the direction he felt Jenica to be in and he could barely see her as her hands were focused on the ground as she stared at the fighting pile of beasts.
"Right now I see it. Anakin increase the dust, create a storm of it worthy of Tatooine."
"You asked for it." The dust in the air already began to swirl around the beasts.
"What are they doing?" Dooku wondered out load as he moved to the edge. Feeling the vibrations pulse through the stadium. Then the dragon roared again and the whole stadium jumped raises even more dust as all the Geonosians took to the air with a rumbling roar of fear. Every time the dragon roared the stadium shook violently. It was even enough to cause all but Count Dooku to back to the entrances.
"I am leaving before everything collapses..." Nute Gunray stopped as dust sudden covered him. Dooku, Poggle and Rune Haako watch as his body suddenly drops to the ground as a hole appears in his head. Rune sees this before he suddenly runs screaming through the entryway and the other dignitaries on the balcony rush after him as another tremor shakes them. Dooku gets a warning and his lightsaber twirls around him as dozens of BB's impact all around them. Far below Anakin smiles.
"Time to leave. Boba come." Boba does not have to be told twice as the balcony is abandoned as another quake shakes the stadium causing more dust and some debris starts to fall around the fleeing Geonosians. Poggle leaves as well as his wings flutter behind him helping to propel him after the bounty hunter. Dooku looks down into the arena and sees little more than dust and debris mixed in with the roars of the beasts as the droidekas start to firing rapidly through the dust causing even more screams from the beasts and this time screams filling the Force with their pain and suffering. The Krayt Dragon suddenly flies out of the dust and into the now abandoned stadium. Blood pouring for dozens of wounds and covering its head. Then the beast climbs through the stadium and after several jumps climbs over the top and out of sight.
The dust slowly settles and some of the Geonosians come back to see only dead beasts and broken droids littering the arena floor.