Author's Notes: I found this chapter very difficult to write (hence why it's taken so long to appear) because it verged on being boring. A lot of it has to be based on the events of the Clones film, yet I've still got to make it my own. It is, of course, the arena battle, and I've done my best with it. I haven't even got to the end, but it reached 4000 words, and I thought it best to take it over into another chapter. Sorry that this isn't the greatest of innovation – hey, I copped off the film for most of it! – but it's one of those linking chapters which you can't do without, I'm afraid… things will get more interesting in the next chapter, I'm positive… I just had to get there first! ^_^
I have, however, (this is kinda irrelevant…) recently watched The Man with the Golden Gun… so I'm filled with inspiration for a cold-hearted Chris Lee character, of the likes of which I've made Dooku in this story. ^_^ More of that will come out next time, too.
Seth: Again, thankyou! What more can I say?
Liz: She came clean with Anakin, yeah, but her troubles aren't over. ^_^
Skywalker-Blue: Aww, this chapter won't make you cry, believe me! I didn't get nearly as far as I wanted to! Maybe the next chapter, or the one after, or… I dunno. ^_^ Glad you're enjoying it, though.
MerryMoll: I don't get much further here, so watch this space for the resolution of certain conundrums! ^_^
Jabba on the Pizza Hut: Newbie! Yay! ^_~ Happy you're enjoying things – keep reading!
swlover12345678910: Another newbie! Here, have a tissue *passes tissue* - I'm afraid things aren't going to get better anytime soon! But I'm glad you're enjoying it, too!
Disclaimer: I still own nothing… except my life. Except my life. Except my life. ^_~ (Tell me what that's from, and I'll give you a merit! LOL)
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"ECLIPSE"
Part 5
["Let the executions begin!"]
The crowd roared with excitement, throwing their spindly hands up into the air, their beady eyes fixed upon the sandy expanse of the arena below as Poggle announced the beginning of the festivities. Strapped against one of four pillars, central to the ground, was Obi-Wan Kenobi; a chain was attached to the manacles about his wrists, and pulled taut upwards, hung to a hook at the column's peak. Attached to the pillar next to him was Anakin, strung up in the same way. They were trapped.
Several Geonosian picadors, armed with electro-poles, rode about the edge of the grounds on quadruped reptilian creatures; they seemed to be hanging around a couple of gates, about the premise's boundaries.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Anakin sighed, staring at these inlets with a feeling of foreboding, monitoring the movements of the mounted Geonosians.
As if in response, the gates suddenly began to draw open. Kenobi watched them closely, trying to focus his strengths, drawing from his last energy reserves; he knew that he'd need to keep his wits about him for whatever was to come.
Drums beat in the stadium, and the Geonosians chanted along to the rhythm aggressively. The picadors raised their poles toward the yawning entryways as, from the darkness of the passageways beyond, a couple of fantastical and fierce beasts emerged. Anakin swallowed – this would certainly be more of a challenge than those training droids back at the Temple.
The first to appear was the Reek, a rhino type creature. It emerged into the sunlight, looking warily about its surroundings, then raised its huge, tri-horned head and bellowed loudly. The roar echoed off of the stadium's sandstone walls, and reverberated through the stands, causing the crowds to get even more enthused. The Reek's skin was a dusty red on top, and grey below, and its feet were flat and rounded, rimmed with stubby nails, which gave it superb balance. The horns on its head were its most prominent and unnerving feature, though; one stuck up central above its eyes, whilst two more protruded from its cheeks, and curled round toward its mouth. It was a living tank, and just as deadly.
The second to come out was the Acklay. It emerged backwards from its tunnel, but swiftly reeled about on its six legs, screeching in the most cringe-worthy tone possible toward a nearby picador. The picador, in response, gave it a jolt with its electro-pole, and urged the creature on toward the captives. The Acklay's body was a crab-like shell, coloured a turquoise blue, from which it's six legs protruded – four main ones for balance and movement, and the front two for attack and defence. These front two legs were like a pair of elongated scythes, sharp and deadly, and could effortlessly sear flesh with a well-aimed blow. It's head, held up upon a lengthy neck, was small and rounded, with a slight decorative frill projecting off the back. It sported a set of four small eyes upon its skull, and a mouth lined with rows of small, sharp teeth.
"You did re-transmit my message, didn't you?" Obi-Wan asked in the heat of the moment.
Anakin glanced in surprise at his Master, his tone unduly conversational, "Yes, Master, of course," he said regardless of the situation.
The two creatures were slowly forced forward toward their quarry, the Reek toward Anakin and the Acklay toward Obi-Wan. The picadors barely had control over them with their measly electro-poles, but it was enough just to get the show on the road.
Kenobi nodded slightly to himself, putting aside his exhaustion, and preparing to fight, "Just relax. Concentrate," he said to his Padawan, eyeing the Acklay vigilantly, "We'll get out of this."
"I promised myself I would," Anakin snarled discreetly, more to himself than to his Master. He glared at the Reek with a determination to win, aiming all his hatred of the Count and all of his fear of the situation toward the incautious Reek. He would save Padmé – he had to.
The Acklay reached Kenobi. It looked over him uncertainly, making a clicking noise within its throat, before shrieking, and raising its scythe-like appendages ready to strike. Obi-Wan watched it wide-eyed as one of its claws came down toward him – he swung to the left a little, managing to get some manoeuvrability out of his chain, and luckily avoided the attack! The Acklay snarled in irritation, withdrew its first claw, and swung in with its other in a follow-up assault – but Obi-Wan swung back, and by sheer chance, instead of hitting him, the Acklay's claw impacted against his chain instead, and snapped it, freeing him!
The crowds hissed…
The Reek came into eye contact with Anakin now, and snorted loudly, shaking its gigantic head. It scraped its forefoot backward across the sandy floor, before roaring deeply and charging toward he who was alleged to be the Chosen One. Anakin gritted his teeth, watching the creature carefully as it hurtled toward his pillar. He concentrated hard, drawing on his strengths from the Force, then, at just the right moment, he leapt up into the air! The Reek slammed into the pillar, missing Anakin – and the Padawan skilfully landed on the creature's back, perched just beyond its head. He swiftly swung his chain about the Reek's main horn, and all was left was for the Reek to yank its head away before the chain was broken! And it did; with a clink, the links snapped, and Anakin was now also free!
The crowds hissed again; this wasn't good.
"Foul!" cried Nute Gunray, pointing toward the dexterous Anakin, "He can't do that!"
The Separatists were all gathered in the dignitary box, high above the arena floor, watching the events with varying amounts of enthusiasm. Most of them just ignored the Trade Federation Viceroy. Poggle shook his head cantankerously to himself, having had enough of Nute's bellyaching.
"He just did, didn't he?" Wat Tambor droned mechanically through his metallic suit, deciding to take a shot back at Gunray, "Stop your whining and just watch, will you?"
Nute cowered back a little from the portentous Techno Unionist, growling quietly in his throat, before slowly turning back to view the skirmish.
Dooku smirked discreetly from behind the Neimoidian, holding a bewildered Padmé firmly by the shoulders before him – that'd keep Gunray quiet for a while. Padmé, meanwhile, stared nervously at the battles going on below, half wishing she were down there too, and not in Dooku's hands. Literally. She sighed quietly to herself, having never dreamt that things would turn out this way.
The Acklay continued to pursue Kenobi, currently playing 'cat and mouse' with him about a pillar. Every time it swung its scythes about the column, in an attempt to run the Jedi through, the pesky human just jumped out of the way! The Acklay was beginning to get frustrated, and just threw its entire body weight against the pillar, knocking it from its base, and over toward the Jedi that cowered behind it.
Obi-Wan gasped as he saw the column suddenly come careering down toward him. He dived out of its path, and rolled across the floor, picking up irritating grains of sand in the apertures of his tunic as he did. His hands were still bound, which hindered his movement, and it took a lot of effort for him to get back onto his weary feet; he knew that if he didn't, he'd never get up again, though.
No sooner had Obi-Wan recovered from that assault than the Acklay was storming back toward him again, throwing its scythes down toward the floor in frenzy, attempting to crush Kenobi under the blows! It took a wild dancing act for Obi to keep out of harm's way, but the more the Jedi Knight dodged the beast's onslaughts, the more it lusted his blood.
Boba forced his way to the front of the dignitary box above, peering down curiously at the transpiring events. Jango watched him guardedly, holding his helmet under his arm, whilst Poggle stood to his left.
"They're wizard, dad!" Boba smirked grimly, glancing briefly back to his father. He looked between the two creatures, and pointed, "I like that one with the claws best… the blue one!"
["It's an Acklay, one of the most ferocious creatures this side of the galaxy,"] Poggle said circumspectly toward the boy, holding his head up proudly – at least the child seemed to have an interest in the events.
"An Acklay, Boba," Dooku translated for him, noticing a frown furrow the boy's forehead as he failed to comprehend the Archduke's language.
Boba nodded slowly, his mouth a little agape, "Awesome," he sighed, turning back to watch it again. Jango smirked proudly toward his son, nodding courteously toward the Count. Padmé just raised a suspicious eyebrow toward the bounty hunter's child – how could a youngster find amusement in this death display? It was frightening to think a child could be like that; she didn't want to even start to consider how he'd been raised if he had grown to be like this.
Anakin had now managed to sling the remnants of his chain through the mouth of the Reek, and rode it about like a bucking bronco. It bolted and twisted around, hastening to throw the Padawan off, it's eyes burning with rage and fear. Anakin pulled tight on the chains, making the beast's head lurch backward. It roared in distress, forced to come to a halt.
Anakin looked up, and suddenly noticed that a pair of picadors were charging toward him! They held their electro-poles forward, preparing to knock him from the bull-like creature. He quickly wrenched his chains to the right, kicking his heels into the beast's hide, and the Reek swiftly began to run again, bellowing in further grief. But it wasn't prepared to let Anakin have an easy ride this time; it made a sharp stop, and turned in the process, before continuing on to sprint in another direction. Anakin fell from his mount, unable to maintain his balance, and held onto his chains hard as he was dragged across the floor, dangerously close to the stampeding feet of the Reek. He cried out in effort, trying in vain to pull himself back onto his feet, but was at the creature's mercy. And, to make matters worse, the two picadors were now in pursuit of him, riding their beasts at the rear…
Kenobi was having his own picador troubles – one had begun to career toward him upon its mount, planning to knock him into the Acklay's path! Obi-Wan turned to the Geonosian, and decided to take it head on. As the picador reached him, Kenobi skilfully caught its electro-pole between his cuffs, and swung the rod over his head, sending the Geonosian from its mount, and soaring over the ground! It landed perfectly by the Acklay's feet. Obi-Wan swallowed, watching the crablike beast carefully. The Acklay jumped back a little in surprise at the incoming gift, inspecting the stunned Geonosian with its four eyes, before deciding that it wasn't worthy of the game, and walked right over it, its front claws piercing its torso! The unfortunate Geonosian soldier squealed as its body was punctured, its green-tinted blood oozing from its wound.
The crowds cheered loudly –the first sure display of carnage had come! It may have been one of their own to be killed first, but it was still a death; all picadors constantly lived with the risk of being consumed by their profession, anyway, so this kind of thing was expected.
Padmé flinched, turning away from the conflicts as best as she could – that could have been Kenobi under the Acklay's feet, "Let me go, please," she whispered desperately to Dooku, staring down to her left.
One of the Count's firm hands grasped the top of her head, and forced it back forward in response, "No, no, my dear… you must watch the spectacle," he said flippantly, lowering his head to the side of hers, grinning vilely. She shuddered as his breath brushed her skin, and closed her eyes. Nute watched Dooku's actions from the corner of his eyes, pursing his lip in further distrust of the Separatist leader.
Dooku continued, passing unconstrained strands of Padmé's hair through his fingers, "You wouldn't want to insult Poggle, now, would you, by leaving this display he has set up especially for us? He'd be most insulted if you were to go…"
"It's sick… you can't make me watch it!" she snapped angrily and hurtfully, trying to force her head back round again, "Especially with my friends being the ones suffering at that Geonosian's twisted expense!"
Dooku held her skull forward ever more securely, "I can make you watch, and I will," he growled without question.
The Reek finally slowed to a halt, taking deep breaths to replenish its lungs. It shook its body, snorting once more, and at last managed to knock Anakin's chains free from about its head. Anakin heaved a sigh of relief, spluttering sand from out of his mouth, and shaking it from his hair, before slowly getting up. His picador friends had now gone off to deal with Kenobi, leaving him free to do as he would. He looked over the Reek thoughtfully, and carefully began to draw his chain back toward his shackled wrists. He avidly kept his eye on the erratic Reek as he pulled the chain gradually back into his palms.
Obi-Wan, meanwhile, held the lance he had stolen from the late picador firmly in his grasp, and was using it to keep the Acklay at bay, jabbing the rod toward the creature to keep a safe distance between them. He then spotted the pair of picadors charging at him, and sighed with exasperation, twisting his pole about to face them. With a well-timed couple of thrusts, he gashed each of the picador's necks, just below their jowls, as they rode past, killing them instantly. Their mounts roared in confusion as their riders fell, and scampered off in disarray.
The Acklay was by now back upon Kenobi, rearing up onto its hind legs, and squealing down at the persistent Jedi. It raised its scythe-like claws up again in another attempt to annihilate him. Obi-Wan brought his pole back to face the creature, and thrust it up toward it. The Acklay just backed off from Kenobi's assaults, and moved back forward again to deliver its own blows when Kenobi's guard seemed to waver. It swung one claw toward the Jedi's head, and – when Kenobi eluded that – swung the other down toward his feet. Obi-Wan evaded that one also. It stuck its forelegs back down into the ground, getting more and more aggravated, and cried out in infuriation, fed up with this game.
The Reek was slowly pacing about the grounds, dazed and lost. Anakin, his chain reeled back into his hands, began to carefully approach the creature from behind. He raised one hand up toward it, hoping to soothe it with his Force manipulation, and hold it under control. He took one steady step at a time, watching the Reek closely, until he was just by its side, and then, with an incredible Force-aided bound, he leapt back onto it, and swung his chain into its mouth once again! This time, however, he'd managed to gain a firmer control of the beast – he'd tamed it to his command with his Jedi powers, and it was his to use.
He jerked the chains about, and gave it a kick in the hide, "Hi-yaah!" he called, making it run forward.
"Yes!" Padmé smiled, seeing how her friends were suddenly getting the better of all that was thrown against them – how they'd done it, she'd never know! Dooku, however, wasn't quite so amused, but was patient – he had other tricks up his sleeve as of yet.
"This isn't how it's supposed to be," Nute groaned, coming out of his silence; he turned to Fett behind him, and pointed at the bounty hunter, "Jango, finish them off!" he ordered.
Dooku released Padmé from his hold, and lightly hit the Neimoidian's pointing arm downwards. Nute looked hard at him, recoiling back a little. "Patience, Viceroy, patience," Dooku said unfalteringly, staring rigidly into Gunray's red eyes, "They will die."
Nute hesitated, before quickly nodding in a nervous response, "B-but of course…" he stuttered, cowering further back behind his aide, and returning his attentions to the proceedings again.
Dooku made a hidden scowl at the Viceroy, before turning back to Padmé, and re-taking his stand behind her, his strong hands taking her shoulders back into their grasp. She glanced at him in horror, the coldness of his tone concerning his confidence in her friends' deaths unsettling her further.
Kenobi was getting as tired of this match as his opponent – and he could feel his body beginning to weaken again. He took a swift gamble with his pole, and threw it at the Acklay like a javelin. It soared into its left shoulder, making the creature scream out loud. The beast then turned to look at the lance, and pulled it out from its shell, its body made of too thick a hide for the shot to be effective. Obi-Wan swallowed, his options out, and wheeled about, running away.
Anakin spotted his fleeing teacher, and drove his Reek toward him; "Master!" he called. Obi-Wan rushed toward his protégé, and leapt onto the Reek's back, behind Anakin.
"Enough of this," Dooku suddenly snarled, sending a chill down the spines of all those in his vicinity. Boba turned to look at the Count again, and withdrew back toward his father from the edge of the dignitary box, knowing when the fun was up. The Count walked forward, dragging Padmé by one arm with him, and made something of a brief signal over the edge of the box.
Anakin looked about warily, hearing the unwelcoming role of metal against the ground. He pulled the Reek to a steady halt in the centre of the grounds, and he and his Master watched as the gates ringing the locale wrenched open again – and hundreds of deadly Droidekas came rolling out! The wheel droids stormed toward the two Jedi, trapped upon their creature, and leapt up into their attack positions, their gun barrels held at the ready, circling them. The Reek looked over the metallic robots with a natural fear, the entire situation terrifying for it.
Dooku's eyebrows rose in faint approval, and he held Padmé firmly before him. She gritted her teeth, finding the goings on unbearable; "Can you see them, Padmé'?" he hissed down her ear snidely, "Can you see where serving the Republic has brought your friends? They could have been allowed to live had they not been so foolish as to turn down my offers."
"Stop it," she cringed, unable to wheel about away from the events, his grip was so tight.
He grinned heartlessly at her – but suddenly, he felt uneasy. Padmé felt the titanic weight that he usually burdened her mind with lessen, and his grip slightly alleviated. She turned to him, looking at his eyes – they were blank, deep in thought.
There was a pause.
The Droidekas stood motionless, guns at the ready, awaiting their Master's command to shoot, whilst Obi-Wan and Anakin glanced around the stands apprehensively. The crowds murmured to one another uncertainly, wondering why the droids had not been commanded to fire yet.
Amidala frowned, the silent pressure growing – something was amiss. She watched as, suddenly, Dooku's face became increasingly taut; he swallowed nonchalantly, straightening his back whilst keeping a light hold of her shoulders; he'd sensed something…
Suddenly, a spurt of laser power burst to life behind them, making all but the Count in the dignitary box jump! The Separatists turned around rapidly, murmuring and gasping to each other, cowering backwards to the walls in fear – there was an intruder in the box!
Dooku, however, merely kept his back to the intruder; "Master Windu," he greeted the unseen entity smoothly, a slow, but bitter grin rising on his face, "How good of you to join us."
Padmé frowned – Mace Windu was here?
Steadily, the Count turned around, holding Amidala firmly to his chest, and – lo-and-behold – there indeed stood Mace Windu, his sabre ignited! Dooku nodded in a feigned civility to the Jedi Master, still seeming composed. Padmé was only further amazed (and intimidated) by the Count's skills.
Mace held his purple lightsabre up beneath Jango's vulnerable chin. The bounty hunter held his head up, seeming untroubled by the threat upon him, though the ambush had caused Boba a little distress; the boy had leapt backwards in shock, and was now leaning into the wall. The other Separatists, including Poggle, made sure to keep their distance, uncertain of what was going to happen next.
Windu looked toward Dooku with an unsympathetic glare, in no mood for games, "This party's over!" he snapped instantaneously.
There was an abrupt fluster of panic within the arena; the crowds were all suddenly startled as Jedi appeared all across the stands, igniting their lightsabres! The Geonosians screeched and cried in alarm, those with wings flying away, and those without scuttling off down the nearest exit, rushing to hide in the catacombs below.
Dooku glanced briefly at the commotion mounting about him, seemingly unimpressed, and turned back to Windu with his typical cocked eyebrow gesture; he smiled in a devious amusement, "Brave, but, uh…'foolish', my old Jedi friend," he seethed unfeelingly, holding Padmé even tighter by the shoulders before him.
Windu looked at Padmé uncertainly, and saw the trepidation and regret in her eyes, "Let the Senator go, Dooku," he asked him in a subdued tone.
The Count slowly grinned with satisfaction; "I couldn't, even if I wanted to; she is bound to my movement now," he hissed.
Windu surveyed her, looking a little astounded; he hoped that what Dooku alleged was a lie, but as he watched Padmé glance downwards guiltily, he knew that the Count's words were confirmed. He sighed in dejection.
"Turn back, Master Windu," Dooku went on, an edge of threat entering his voice, "You're impossibly outnumbered."
Mace scoffed, his mind returning to the moment, and he shook his head coolly, "I don't think so. These Geonosian 'friends' of yours aren't soldiers. One Jedi is worth ten of them."
Poggle, meanwhile, was ushering most of the Confederacy commanders from the arena stand back to safety within the Hive walls. He walked quickly up behind Dooku; ["We must retreat to the war room,"] he whispered to him urgently. Jango watched everyone carefully as they fled, still cornered by the Jedi's lightsabre.
The Count listened to Poggle, keeping an eye on Mace at the same time, "I'll meet you down there in due course," he inconspicuously responded, dismissing him with a slight gesture of his hands. The Archduke nodded, and continued to lead the Separatists away. Dooku then turned back to Mace, "It wasn't the Geonosians I was thinking of," he retorted openly to the Jedi Master's latter comment, inclining his head a little to the left.
Mace noted the knowing grin on Dooku's visage, and listened cautiously as he heard heavy metallic footsteps approach from behind. Veering speedily about on the spot, he saw a hoard of Super Battle Droids begin to approach him from out of the main passageway beyond. He swung his sabre before him in order to deflect a mass of incoming laser fire from the Super Battle Droids' arm-mounted cannons, finally leaving Jango open.
Fett took his chance to rapidly roll out of the way, to the side, and urged his son to take cover in a hollow in the rock face, before activating his flamethrower, aiming to scorch the Jedi Master to a crisp. Windu saw that he was trapped up here, and leapt over the edge of the dignitary box, deflecting a last couple of laser bolts, before falling to the floor below. Dooku, meanwhile, forced Amidala forward to the far right of the box, and stood with her there, carefully monitoring the events.
All of the other Jedi leapt down from the stands, grouping together in the arena centre in one huge attack force. Anakin and Obi-Wan rode the Reek over through the stunted Droidekas to join their Jedi comrades – and then, all Hell broke loose! A throng of Battle Droids and armed Geonosians rushed into the stadium from the entryways, and were met in a head-on collision by the Jedi party, all lightsabres a-blazing!
Anakin grinned – now this was his kind of thing!
One Jedi hurried over to the two upon the Reek, lobbing them a couple of spare lightsabres. Anakin activated his green blade, freeing Kenobi from his manacles with it, before freeing himself. They leapt off the Reek, and joined in the fight – it was Jedi versus Battle Droids & Geonosians, Republic versus Separatists!
Dooku swallowed, lightly stroking Padmé's shoulders, "War has begun," he said plainly. Amidala closed her eyes in compunction – he was right.
TBC…
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NB: Yes, words from the film, and from cut scenes, with my own personal improvisation.