Deep in the heart of the Geonosian desert, there was a massive sandstone crater wide enough to contain an entire army and the rations needed to sustain it for a month. How such an impressive formation came to be is a mystery that the world will likely never solve. During this time, however, the crater had been carved into possibly the largest arena in the world. Bloodsport was one of the favored forms of execution for Geonosians and this is the fate that Anakin and Padmé had been sentenced to.
The two of them stood on a cart in the arena's holding area. Both their arms and legs had been shackled and chained to the cart's floorboards. Anakin looked to Padmé, feeling as though he had failed her. "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid to die," she said, looking into his eyes. "Since the day you came back into my life I felt as though I was dying a little bit every day."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just knowing that there was no way we could be together, it tore me apart. I feel free now. Free enough to tell the truth. I love you, Anakin."
Anakin's heart fluttered. "Truly? You love me? But... I thought that we had decided not to fall in love, that doing so would force us to live a lie and destroy us."
Padmé gave a sad laugh. "I think that's about to happen to us anyway. Anakin... I love you, truly I do. And I didn't want to die without telling you."
They leaned in towards one another, just like they had done on Naboo. Their lips met, lacking any of the hesitation from the first time. They kissed and their hearts melted for one another. All fear or regret in their lives vanished for that instant. The cart jerked forward and they were soon on the open sands of the arena, still joined at the lips.
Tens of thousands of Geonosians surrounded the arena floor on terraced seating. The din of buzzing voices and beating wings was almost deafening. At the arena's center were four sandstone pillars with chains connected to the top. Standing at the base of one of these pillars with his hands shackled above his head was a very tired looking Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan watched with confusion and annoyance as he saw who exactly was in the cart pulling towards him. Anakin smiled sheepishly at his master.
Padmé was led off the cart first. No sooner had she been unchained from the cart than she surreptitiously reached up her sleeve and pulled out a long thin piece of bone she had found in the prison cell she had spent the night in. She held it in her mouth, out of sight of her Geonosian escort.
Anakin was led off the cart as Padmé was chained to one of the sandstone pillars. Obi-Wan watched as he too was chained up. "I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten my message."
"We retransmitted it just as you requested, Master." Anakin shrugged, a gesture whose impact was lessened by his arms being above his head. "Then we decided to come rescue you."
Obi-Wan's eyes went from Anakin to the chain above his own head. He then looked back to Anakin with a blank stare. "Good job."
The Geonosian audience began to cheer as high above, the Geonosian leader, Poggle the Lesser, emerged onto the grand podium overlooking the entire arena. With him came Count Dooku, Viceroy Gunray, Jango Fett and his son, Boba.
Poggle raised two of his four hands to calm the audience. "Zzzettle down, zzzettle down," he said into a broadcast crystal. He waited until the cheering died down. "Now, let the exzzzecutionzzz begin!"
The audience cheered once again as one of the gates to the animal pens opened and a hulking reek lumbered through. It roared as it entered the arena, eager to assert its dominance.
Reeks are beasts found in several of the warmer regions of the world. Their thick grey hide is covered in bony armor plates and their heads sport a trio of horns. Reeks are fiercely territorial and in several cultures, defeating one is a prerequisite to becoming a warrior.
A second gate opened and an acklay scuttled through, hissing and screeching at the Geonosian handler prodding it along.
Acklays are towering green crustaceans with six legs found in the oceans and humid swamps of Vendaxa and Felucia. Though they usually walk on all six legs, their elongated front limbs double as a means of attack and defense and are each tipped with a sharpened spike. Despite their categorization as a crustacean, they have a mouth and jaw that one would expect to see on more terrestrial animals. These mouths are lined with three sets of needle-like teeth meant for catching fish. While quite intimidating, acklays are typically not aggressive towards people unless provoked.
Finally a third gate opened and a fearsome nexu rushed out and immediately mauled the handler that stood next to the gate. It tore the Geonosian apart, but was disgusted by the taste despite its hunger.
Nexus are large catlike creatures native to the forests of Cholganna. Their fur is a pale grey with dark stripes and they have a thick mane of quills that run halfway down their spine. The mouth of a nexu is packed with long, sharp teeth that are constantly regrowing and their claws are capable of easily cutting a person clean in half. Perhaps their most peculiar trait is that they possess a second set of eyes that are believed to allow them to see better at night.
Anakin looked at the three beasts. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he said to no one in particular.
Padmé ignored the creatures, instead focusing on picking the locks of her shackles with the piece of bone. She had picked up this skill as a young girl, but never thought it would come in handy.
The men in the grand podium eagerly watched as the beasts were led towards the chained captives. The acklay was guided towards Obi-Wan, while the reek and nexu went for Anakin and Padmé, respectively.
Padmé felt the lock click open on one of the shackles and made quick work of the other. Once free, she began to use the hanging chain to climb up the pillar as the nexu drew closer.
Anakin looked to Obi-Wan for guidance, oblivious of Padmé's escape. "Do you have any plans, Master?"
"Just relax. Concentrate."
"What about Padmé?"
Obi-Wan leaned forward to see around Anakin. "She seems to be on top of things."
Anakin looked and watched as Padmé pulled herself to the pillar's flat top. "Huh."
Obi-Wan watched the acklay's movements carefully as it approached. It raised one of its forelimbs and swiped at the Jedi. Obi-Wan ducked just in time and the spike carved a gash in the soft sandstone. The acklay tried another strike and Obi-Wan moved his chain in to the path of the blow. The spike smashed the metal chain links and Obi-Wan rushed to the side of the acklay before it had time to react.
The reek charged at Anakin, its feet shaking the ground as it galloped. Right before the reek hit him, Anakin jumped and landed on the reek's neck. He wrapped the now slackened chain around the reek's nose horn and the chain snapped as the reek bucked at the sudden presence of a rider.
The nexu dug its claws into the soft stone of Padmé's pillar. It climbed, desperate to make a meal of her. Padmé swung the chain that had previously held her in an arc around her head before bringing the shackle down on the nexu's head. It flinched at the hit but kept coming. Padmé swung the chain again just as the nexu swiped its claws at her.
She hit it, but it also hit her. The claws ripped through her shirt and the skin beneath. Padmé cried out and almost lost her balance as the white hot pain spread across her back and blood trickled from the gashes. As bad as they were, they fortunately didn't reach all the way through to her muscle or bone.
Viceroy Gunray cringed at the sight, but he still took glee in seeing the suffering of the woman that had caused him so much grief.
Obi-Wan circle strafed around the acklay, dodging its strikes with well-timed rolls. This was not the first time he had fought a creature in this manner, but all the previous times, he hadn't had his hands bound.
The reek rampaged around the arena, distressed by Anakin riding atop it. Several Geonosian handlers rode beside it, trying to bring it back under control. The reek swung its head to one side as one of the handlers came up beside it. The action sent the Geonosian and its mount flying and Anakin lost his balance. The chain remained wrapped around the reek's horn and Anakin was dragged through the sand behind the reek.
The nexu clawed at the top edge of the pillar, snarling at Padmé. She stood and wrapped the chain around her forearms, steeling herself for what she was about to do. She stepped off the side of the pillar and swung towards the nexu, gritting her teeth through the pain. The nexu was caught off guard by this and failed to react before Padmé's foot landed squarely in one of its eyes. It released its hold on the pillar and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Once it stood back up it pawed at its eye as it limped around the pillar's base.
Viceroy Gunray was enraged. "She can't do that! Shoot her, or something!"
The acklay had become enraged by Obi-Wan's constant dodging and as he hid behind the pillar for a quick breather, the acklay rammed into it as hard as it could. The pillar cracked in half as it toppled, sending a small shower of sand onto the fleeing Jedi. The acklay gave chase as he sprinted across the arena floor.
The reek finally came to a stop once the handlers had given up trying to bring it back under control. One of the handlers rode past Obi-Wan who leapt and grabbed the spear it carried, flinging its owner away in the process. He brought the spear to bear against the acklay.
Anakin, meanwhile, stood up and tried to calm the reek with the Force. He cautiously approached it as it finally shook the chain free from its nose horn. Once he was within arm's reach, he leapt back onto the reek and wrapped the chain around the horns on either side of its head. The reek shook its head only to find its movements restricted by its rider.
Anakin rode towards the pillar that Padmé still sat atop and trampled the nexu underneath his impromptu mount. "Jump down," Anakin called up to her. "I'll slow your fall!"
Padmé took several deep breaths before jumping down and landing surprisingly softly behind Anakin. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before he whipped the reek forward.
Obi-Wan dodged several strikes as he thrust the spear towards the acklay. It tried to bite at him and missed, giving Obi-Wan an opening. He threw the spear as hard as he could and it sunk deep into the acklay's green carapace. It shrieked in pain and ripped the spear out with its teeth as translucent white blood leaked from the wound. It clenched the spear haft tightly in its jaws until it snapped in half. Obi-Wan took off running.
In the stands around the arena, the assembled Geonosians cheered wildly at the spectacle. They came to watch an execution, but it had turned into the most exciting gladatorial game they had ever seen.
Anakin steered the reek towards Obi-Wan. "Master! Jump on!"
Obi-Wan didn't need to be told twice and jumped onto the back of the reek, taking his place behind Padmé.
In the grand podium, the Viceroy growled. "This isn't how it's supposed to be! Jango! Get down there and finish them off!"
Count Dooku put up a hand. "Patience, Viceroy. Patience. They will die."
From the holding pen gates, a dozen automekas rolled out onto the sands of the arena and surrounded the reek and its riders. The automekas trained their repeating crossbows on them as they tightened the perimeter.
High above, in the hallway leading to the grand podium, a lone man clad in dark brown robes made his way towards the assembled Separatist leadership. None of them noticed his presence until there was suddenly a purple Lightblade at the neck of Jango Fett. The Jedi glared at the Mandalorian as Count Dooku slowly turned to see this uninvited guest.
"Ah, Master Windu. How pleasant of you to join us," Count Dooku said dryly.
"This party is over," Mace Windu responded equally as dryly.
All around the arena's stands, scores of Lightblades ignited, sending the Geonosians into a panicked frenzy. They took to the air in droves, flying out of the arena crater as fast as they could. More and more blue and green blades appeared as the Geonosians' wings kicked up a fine cloud of dust. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé looked around at all of the glowing blades with awe.
Dooku scoffed. "Brave, but dare I say, foolish, my old Jedi friend. You are impossibly outnumbered."
Master Windu smirked. "I don't think so."
"We'll see."
From the hallway that he had come through, Mace Windu heard the heavy footfalls of metal feet. He readied himself just as hulking war automata came into view.
These juggernaut automata were a head taller than a man, with broad upper bodies. Their metal shells were a midnight blue, the color of treated metal. As they drew closer, the front ranks held out their right arms in unison and opened fire with the guns built into them.
Mace Windu jumped out of the way just before they fired and the bullets impacted the sandstone railing of the grand podium. The Separatist leadership took this as their cue to retreat into the stands, while Jango took the opportunity to launch a gout of flame at the Jedi from his gauntlet.
Master Windu leapt from the grand podium, ripping his burning cloak off as he fell. He landed on the sands of the arena below as scores of dusky red war automata streamed through the arena gates to combat the Jedi rescuers. The sky above darkened with the sheer number of Geonosians fleeing from the oncoming fray.
The force of Jedi charged at the advancing automata. Juggernauts scattered throughout the ranks opened fire with their repeating guns, striking several Jedi not able to deflect the bullets. As the two forces crashed together, metal flew and fell to the ground from the Jedi cutting through the automata with practiced ease while the automata themselves struggled to land even a single sword strike.
The automaton formation quickly collapsed and the arena descended into a multitude of scattered skirmishes. Anakin rode through a cluster of automata, crushing them beneath the reek's feet. A Jedi called to him as they rode past and threw a pair of spare Lightblades to Anakin and Obi-Wan. The two of them held out the blades to one another and cut the shackles off their wrists.
The arena became a deafening cacophony of metal against metal, gunfire, and wingflaps. Automeka shield wards shattered under the assaults of Lightblades. The acklay screeched, attacking anything near it and the reek bellowed as it crushed the automata in its path. Thick clouds of sand dust and pungent gunsmoke swirled around.
A barrage of bullets from a group of juggernauts struck the reek in its bony flank. It reared back, throwing its riders free before charging the juggernauts. Anakin and Obi-Wan set off to cut down any automata they could find while Padmé looked around for something to fight with. No sooner had she found the top half of the spear that Obi-Wan had used to face off against the acklay than she saw the cart that had carried Anakin and herself bearing down on her.
Padmé threw the spear and although her skills at spear throwing were non-existent, it found its mark in the cart driver's thorax. The driver fell free as the cart passed by Padmé and she jumped onto it, hissing as her injuries pulled at her motions. Anakin watched Padmé's actions from a short distance away, impressed with how easy she made everything look. Anakin sprinted at the cart and leapt aboard. Together, the two of them ran over and cut down dozens of mechanical soldiers.
Despite their initial success, the Jedi forces were beginning to falter under the seemingly endless amount of automata that kept streaming into the arena. Skill and discipline can only do so much against numbers. One Jedi took it upon himself to attempt to capture Count Dooku, but no sooner was he on the grand podium than Jango Fett put a bullet through his chest. The Jedi fell back into the arena, but was dead before hitting the ground.
Jango decided this was as good a time as any to join the battle below. He spread his metal wings and took off, billowing Count Dooku's cape. As he glided downwards, he saw the rampaging reek charging straight at the Jedi with the purple Lightblade.
Mace Windu ran, trying to keep some distance between himself and the reek as he devised a strategy. He didn't get much time before the beast was on him, though. The Jedi swung at the reek, cleanly severing one of the horns on the side of its head. While successful in hitting the reek, it also hit him with its meaty shoulder, sending Master Windu flying. He lost grip on his Lightblade and it rolled away through the sand.
Seeing the Jedi's predicament made him Jango's first target. He landed in front of Master Windu as the Jedi jumped to his feet. Mace Windu held out his hand to pull his Lightblade back to him. Jango dove for it in an attempt to deprive him of his weapon but missed.
Seeing a vulnerable target, the reek charged Jango, slamming its nose horn into his chest plate as he looked up. As a testament to the strength of beskar, his armor didn't so much as dent from either the impact or the subsequent rolling. Jango's enchanted wings were not so fortunate. Delicate silver feathers flew in every direction as the reek rolled him over the sand.
Finally he came to a stop as the reek passed over him. Jango got to his feet, shaky and dizzy. The reek stomped the ground and charged again, but Jango was ready this time. The reek bellowed and rushed at the Mandalorian. Jango stood his ground, drew one of his revolvers, and took aim.
One shot was all he needed. The bullet hit the reek in its right eye and punched through into its brain. The reek collapsed and skidded to a halt, dead. Jango didn't have much time to admire his handiwork before he saw Master Windu sprinting at him.
The Mandalorian fired every bullet left in both of his guns at the Jedi, but every single one was deflected until Mace Windu was on him. Jango tried desperately to take off, but his wings were twisted and bare. With two quick movements, Master Windu swept his purple Lightblade upwards and then sideways, first cutting off Jango's hand and then his head, exploiting gaps in the beskar.
Jango's lifeless body collapsed as Boba watched on in horror. He yelled and rushed down the sandstone hallways to try to get to the arena floor. Count Dooku merely frowned in disappointment at how careless this brave warrior was. But, he figured, Jango's death would simplify some things.
Padmé led the creature drawing the cart towards a cluster of automata. What she failed to notice, however, was that the group contained several automekas that loosed a volley of bolts into the creature which promptly collapsed in pain. The cart jackknifed and threw both Padmé and Anakin off. The two of them scrambled over and took cover beside the now upturned cart.
"So," Anakin said, "would you call this a diplomatic solution?"
Padmé gave an exhausted laugh. "No, I'd call it 'aggressive negotiations.'"
Anakin gave a chuckle before bisecting an automaton that came round the cart.
Obi-Wan had become so focused on destroying automata that he was oblivious to the acklay coming up behind him. He heard the familiar screech, turned, and rolled to the side just as the acklay's forelimb stabbed the ground. Obi-Wan spared no time in swinging his Lightblade at the forelimb. The acklay shrieked in pain as first one limb then the other was cut away. It collapsed to the ground and screeched at Obi-Wan who delivered a final coup de grace to the creature's head.
More automata filed into the arena, forcing the Jedi towards the arena's center. The bodies and Lightblades of their fallen comrades lay strewn among the countless piles of destroyed mechanical soldiers. It wasn't much longer until the last dozen or so Jedi and the three captives they came to rescue were completely surrounded and huddled together to make their final stand.
Count Dooku gave a signal and every automaton halted and stood at the ready. The Jedi looked around suspiciously, while Obi-Wan knelt down to check the pulse of one of the fallen Jedi. He felt guilty for every single one of them slain in the arena. They had, after all, been sent to rescue him.
From the grand podium, Dooku began to give a slow clap. "Master Windu, you and your Jedi have fought gallantly. Your stand will surely be commemorated with a magnificent tapestry in the Jedi Temple, but I am afraid this fight is over for you. Surrender, and your lives will be spared."
"We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku," Master Windu shouted up to the Count.
"Then I am sorry, old friend." He gave a signal and the automata readied their weapons.
The Jedi gripped their Lightblades and readied themselves for what would likely be the last battle of their lives.