Anakin and Padmé flew the ship towards Geonosis. They were fortunate that Tatooine was relatively close to it. They flew past the atmosphere of the planet and along a canyon. Padmé began to notice something.
"See those columns of steam up ahead?" She asked Anakin, who was piloting. "They're exhaust vents of some type." She said.
"That'll do." Anakin said as he flew towards it. He began to gently land inside the vent, the smoke from the vent masking the ship's location.
"Look whatever happens in there, follow my lead." She said. "I'm not interested in starting a war here as a member of the Senate maybe I can manage to find a diplomatic solution to this mess." She said putting on her cloak.
"Don't worry. I've given up trying to argue with you." Anakin sarcastically said as he followed her.
Threepio looked at the two as they began to leave.
Artoo chirped in concern.
"My obtuse little friend, if they had needed our help they would have asked for it." Threepio told him. "You obviously have a great deal to learn about human behavior." He told the Astromech.
Artoo began to argue.
Anakin and Padmé got off the ship and began to walk on the ramp. As they reached the end of it the door opened up halfway. They both crouched and went under the door. The two began to walk down the dark corridor.
Back on the ship, Artoo and Threepio began to argue.
"For a mechanic, you sure do a lot of thinking." Threepio said.
Artoo chirped in an accusing manner.
"I am programmed to understand humans!" Threepio snapped back.
Artoo chirped again asking Threepio what that means in a disrespectful tone.
"What does that mean?! That means I am in charge here!" Threepio ordered.
Artoo was having none of that and began to exit the ship.
"Where are you going now?" Threepio asked.
Artoo told Threepio he was leaving the ship.
"You don't know what's out there!" Threepio warned the little Astromech. "Have you no sense at all?!" Threepio questioned Artoo as he hobbled after the Astromech.
"Oh, idiot!" He yelled at the droid as Artoo left.
The two droids were now off the ship and began to follow Anakin and Padmé.
"Please wait!" Threepio told Artoo as he headed towards him.
Artoo chirped again.
"Do you know where you are going?" C-3PO asked.
Anakin and Padmé walked down the hallway. Padmé was about to continue walking down the hall when Anakin stopped her.
"Wait, you hear that?" Anakin asked. He turned around and saw the Geonosians coming out of their wall hiding spots. He got his lightsaber out and ignited it. He managed to slice one of them that got too close. Padmé began to run down the hall to open the door while Anakin began to ward off the natives.
Threepio and Artoo began to notice the natives run out of a hallway towards them.
Anakin managed to the arm off of one before running towards Padmé. He force pushed a group of them away. He kicked one away and cut him in half. He went towards Padmé who was looking down at something. When he got there he saw that the floor ended shortly over a conveyor belt.
Suddenly, the floor beneath them began to retreat. Anakin held onto the door, but Padmé couldn't react in time. She fell onto the conveyor belt.
"Padmé!" Anakin called out.
He dropped down to her. A Geonosian from behind flew towards him, but he dismembered it with his lightsaber. He slew another one and it fell down onto the metallic square and got pressed by a machine. He quickly slashed another one, but a different one began to fire at him. He rolled out of the way and bisected it when it flew towards him.
Padmé, however, was focusing on the press. She had to time her dash just right or else she'd be flattened. She saw her opportunity and ran narrowly avoiding death. She began to walk back in order to align herself just right before going under the next one. She managed to do so, but almost tripped. She went under the final one before going through some more parts of the factory.
Anakin killed another two Geonosians before jumping off the conveyor belt to another one.
Threepio reached the door and looked at the factory in shock.
"Oh my goodness!" He exclaimed as he looked at the factory. "Shut me down… machines making machines… how perverse." He said to himself.
Suddenly, Artoo bumped into Threepio. The protocol droid nearly fell off.
"Calm down, Artoo." Threepio said trying to assure Artoo. "I almost fell." He warned the astromech.
Artoo accidentally bumped into Threepio again causing him to fall and scream. Fortunately he managed to grab onto another droid.
"I'm scrapped…" Threepio said to himself fearfully.
The droid picked up C-3PO, but the protocol droid held onto its arms.
"It's a nightmare!" Threepio shouted in fear.
The droid tried to shake Threepio off, but grabbed him with his other arm.
"I want to go home." C-3PO said fearfully.
The factory droid dropped Threepio onto another conveyor belt.
"What did I do to deserve this…" Threepio pondered.
Artoo beeped as he prepared his jet propulsions and flew towards Anakin and Padmé.
Anakin was cutting through parts of the factory trying to avoid the sparks the machines made. He jumped over a stream of fire.
Padmé was on the conveyor belt when a Geonosian flew towards her. The two struggled for a bit before she fell into a large bucket. She tried to come out knowing that this was supposed to be a smelting pot.
Artoo flew trying to find everyone.
Threepio was on a conveyor belt.
"I wonder what happened to poor little Artoo." Threepio said. "He's always getting himself into trouble." He said before his head was separated from his body.
The protocol droid's head was put on a line with several Battle Droid heads.
"Oh no!" He cried out in fear.
Threepio's body clumsily walked into a line of Battle Droid bodies that were currently getting heads attached to them. Threepio knocked one of the Battle Droid bodies out of the way and got a Battle Droid head attached to it.
"Uh oh!" The Battle Droid said as he noticed his body was different from the others.
A second later, Threepio's head was attached to a Battle Droid's.
"I'm so confused…" He said trying to process what was happening.
A Geonosian shot at Anakin. Anakin used the force to throw droid parts at them and another duo coming towards him. He leaped up and began to slice through machinery. Until one of the parts knocked him down. A press landed on the hand that currently wielded his lightsaber. Fortunately, his hand was crushed, but instead encased in metal. Anakin tried to free his arm
Padmé meanwhile tried to climb out of the pot before the liquefied metal would be poured in. She was getting close she could feel it. Luckily, Artoo landed on the balcony next to her.
Anakin was still stuck and moving along the factory line. He noticed a set of blades nearby meant to cut the metal.
Padmé was not under the hose that would pour the liquid metal into the pot. She tried to desperately to climb out, but Artoo managed to shut it down just in time. The astromech even managed to release the smelting pot. Padmé got out once it hit the ground.
Anakin began to dodge the blades. The second blade managed to allow him to free himself. However, unknown to Anakin it cut his lightsaber in half, when Anakin tried to ignite his lightsaber it sparked to his confusion. He examined it and saw that the top part was cut off.
"Not again." He lamented. "Obi-Wan's going to kill me." He said.
Padmé was soon surrounded by Geonosian guards while Anakin was surrounded by Droidekas and a man he had to assume was Jango Fett judging by his armor.
"Don't move Jedi." Fett said with a blaster pointed at the padawan. "Take him away." He ordered the droids.
Seeing he had no other options Anakin surrendered.
Anakin and Padmé were brought to a meeting room. Inside the room was Count Dooku with Jango Fett by his side.
"You're holding a Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi." She told Dooku. "I'm formally requesting that you hand him over to me now." She said.
"We don't recognize the Republic here, Senator." Dooku replied. "But if Naboo were to join our alliance, I could easily hear your plea. For clemency." He proposed trying to negotiate.
"And if I don't join your rebellion?" She asked.
"The Republic cannot be fixed my lady. It is time to start over." Dooku explained.
"I know of your treaties with the Trade Federation, the Commerce Guilds, and the others Count." She argued. "I will not forsake all that I've honored and worked for and betray the Republic." She told Dooku firmly.
"Without your cooperation, I've done all I can for you." He said. "Call." He said to Poggle.
Poggle the Lesser began to speak.
Soon, Anakin and Padmé stood before a court. Poggle spoke, but they couldn't understand him though they knew it sounded bad.
"You're committing an act of war, Archduke." She warned Poggle. "I hope you're prepared for the consequences." She said.
Poggle spoke again.
"Get on with it!" Nute Gunray cried out. "Carry out the sentence! I want to see her suffer!" He shouted impatiently.
Poggle began to sentence the two to death in the arena by wild animals.
All right, here's my first chapter that I have now posted while at school. Luckily we had a snow day and classes were cancelled which allowed me to post this chapter. I'm sorry for the short chapter though, I felt it made more sense to end it here before we got to the arena. May the force be with you.
