Emerging from hyperspace, Anakin and Padmé were met with the awe-inspiring sight of Geonosis' rings, their beauty marred by the presence of Trade Federation battleships dotting the orbit. A sense of foreboding washed over them as Anakin steered the ship lower into the atmosphere, the sheer number of warships hinting at a conflict far greater than they had anticipated. "This is Senator Amidala and Jedi Skywalker," Padmé's voice rang through the comm system, her tone firm and authoritative. "We were invited here by Count Dooku himself and would like to request an audience with him."
The response was swift, a robotic voice devoid of emotion speaking, "You have been sent the coordinates for landing." As they recieved the coordinates, Anakin maneuvered the craft towards their destination, the vastness of the Trade Federation's fleet became even more apparent. Countless warships and transports, each bristling with weaponry, formed an imposing armada against the backdrop of the planet's rings.
"This looks like an army," Padmé observed, her voice laced with a hint of fear. The scale of the Separatist forces was staggering, far exceeding anything she had imagined.
"Do you think they're preparing for a war?" Anakin inquired, his own anxieties mirroring Padmé's.
"I hope not," Padmé responded, her voice trembling slightly. "Perhaps I can still find a diplomatic solution to Obi-Wan's… situation." The weight of their self-imposed mission pressed down on her, the knowledge that Obi-Wan's life, and possibly the fate of the Republic, hung in the balance.
"I know you can," Anakin replied, his tone laced with a mixture of concern and determination. He guided the ship down to the designated landing zone, where a small contingent of battle droids awaited their arrival.
"Just trust me," Padmé whispered as they disembarked, leaving Artoo and Threepio behind to guard the ship. The droids escorted them through a network of dimly lit stone tunnels, the air thick with anticipation and a growing sense of unease.
"Your weapons, please," the lead droid instructed, its metallic voice devoid of inflection.
Anakin exchanged a glance with Padmé, silently seeking her decision. She nodded subtly, and he reluctantly surrendered his lightsaber to the droid. Padmé followed suit, handing over her blaster. As they ventured deeper into the tunnels, Anakin noticed a series of small holes dotting the walls, their purpose unknown but unsettling nonetheless. Rounding a corner, they stumbled upon a vast factory, its interior alive with the clanging and whirring of machinery. Rows upon rows of battle droids marched off the assembly line, their identical forms a chilling testament to the Separatists' growing military might. Anakin nudged Padmé, drawing her attention to the spectacle. "Looks like they're producing an army here," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the din of the factory. "I hope Dooku is willing to stop this war before it starts."
Their escorts led them into a large chamber, where numerous delegates representing various factions within the Separatist movement were gathered. Among them, Padmé recognized the unmistakable figure of Nute Gunray, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation and the mastermind behind the attempts on her life. He rose from his seat, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "So, the droids were right," Gunray's voice dripped with malice. "Dooku has brought me my prize."
"I came here to speak with Dooku. I was invited," Padmé reiterated, her voice unwavering despite the danger she now faced. Anakin moved to stand behind her, his presence a source of comfort and reassurance.
"No, Dooku sent you here as a trap," Gunray sneered, his eyes gleaming with triumph.
Another delegate, his voice gruff and authoritative, rose to address the gathering. "We can have them executed with the other Jedi," he proposed, his words met with murmurs of agreement. "Will you pledge your army to us then, Gunray?"
"Yes," Gunray replied without hesitation. "Once she enters the arena, the Trade Federation will officially join the Separatists."
"And what of this new Jedi?" another delegate inquired, his gaze fixed on Anakin.
"He can join Senator Amidala in her demise," Gunray declared, his voice cold and final. The other delegates cheered in support of his idea. Anakin and Padmé were surrounded, trapped in the heart of the Separatist movement, their fate seemingly sealed. Dooku had seemingly trapped them.
Padmé and Anakin were ushered into a dark, oppressive tunnel by the emotionless droids. The weight of failure hung heavy on Padmé's shoulders. Their trust in Dooku had been a grave miscalculation, leading them straight into the heart of a trap. She glanced at Anakin, his face etched with a mixture of anger and despair, and felt a pang of guilt. "It's not your fault," she said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "You couldn't have known this was a trap."
The silence of the tunnel was broken only by the distant roar of the crowd, their cheers echoing ominously through the darkness. They were unceremoniously thrown into a small cart and strapped into place, their fate seemingly sealed. As the cart lurched forward, Padmé turned to Anakin, her eyes filled with a strange mix of fear and resolve. "Don't be afraid," he began, his voice thick with emotion.
Padmé smiled sadly. "I'm not afraid to die," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper. "I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life."
Anakin's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his heart pounding in his chest.
Had he truly been so blind? His mother seemed to think he understood, and now, with death looming over them, Padmé felt compelled to reveal the truth that had tormented her for so long. All they both had left in life was death, and Anakin deserved one last indulgence. "I love you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Anakin's eyes widened in shock. "You… love me?" he stammered, his mind reeling from this unexpected confession. Padmé's silent nod confirmed what he had longed to hear but dared not believe. "But… I thought we decided not to fall in love," he continued, his voice filled with a mixture of joy and confusion. "That we would be forced to live a lie, that it would destroy our lives."
"I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway," Padmé replied, her voice tinged with a hint of dark humor. "My love for you is a puzzle, Ani, 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."
Padmé leaned closer, her body pressing against the restraints that separated them. Their first kiss, stolen on the balcony on Naboo, had ignited a fire within her, a longing she had suppressed for fear of the consequences. Now, with death a certainty, she was free to express the depths of her emotions. Anakin, his heart overflowing with love and despair, met her halfway. Their lips met in a soft, lingering kiss, a bittersweet expression of their forbidden love. It was a moment of pure connection, a stolen embrace in the face of oblivion. She never wanted that moment to end, but the kiss was broken by the sudden jolt of the cart as it emerged into the blinding light of the arena. The deafening roar of the crowd washed over them, a cacophony of cheers and jeers. Padmé's eyes scanned the vast expanse of the arena, taking in the sight of four sturdy posts, each with chains dangling from them. On one of the posts, a lone figure stood chained and defiant.
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin cried out, recognizing his master.
"I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten my message," Obi-Wan replied, his voice laced with a hint of sarcasm.
"I retransmitted your message just as you requested, Master," Anakin explained, his voice filled with a mixture of relief and guilt. "Then we decided to come and rescue you."
"Good job," Obi-Wan quipped dryly.
The droid piloting the cart came to a halt, seemingly preparing to deliver them to their own posts. But then, in an unexpected turn of events, the droid climbed back into the cart and began to reverse course, heading back towards the tunnel they had emerged from. "The felon on the post has been convicted of espionage against the Sovereign System of Geonosis," a booming voice announced throughout the arena. As the announcer noticed the cart leaving he added, "The execution of the other two in the cart has been… postponed." A wave of boos and disappointed groans erupted from the crowd.
"Looks like we won't be executed with you," Anakin remarked.
"Lucky me," Obi-Wan replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
As the cart retreated into the darkness of the tunnel, the heavy gates clanged shut behind them, and the cheers of the bloodthirsty crowd faded into an eerie silence. Their reprieve was temporary, they knew, but for now, they were alive, together, and that was all that mattered.
Frustration gnawed at Count Dooku as he strode towards his solar sailer. He had placed his hopes on Obi-Wan, believing the Jedi would support him after hearing of the corruption, but he only served to reinforce Dooku's disillusionment with the Jedi Order. Their rigid adherence to dogma and their blindness to the corruption within the Republic made them pawns in Darth Sidious's grand scheme. Anakin, with his raw power and his willingness to see the wrongs with the Jedi way, represented a glimmer of hope, a potential ally who would see through the hypocrisy and embrace the truth. "Senator Amidala wishes to speak with you," a droid announced, interrupting Dooku's thoughts.
"Send her to the council," Dooku replied dismissively, his mind preoccupied with finding Anakin. "They can deal with her." He turned to the droid, his voice laced with urgency. "I must leave to find Anakin. Inform me immediately if he arrives." Amidala was of little consequence at the moment; his priority was to locate Anakin before the events set in motion by Sidious spiraled out of control.
"But Senator Amidala has-" the droid began, only to be cut off by Dooku's sharp retort.
"I have no interest in her affairs," Dooku snapped as he hurried towards his ship. The droid seemed to hesitate, as if wanting to convey something important, but Dooku ignored it, his focus solely on his mission. The Separatists could handle their own affairs for now; his attention was needed elsewhere.
As his solar sailer soared into the vast expanse of space, Dooku engaged the hyperdrive, setting course for Tatooine. The blue streaks of hyperspace streaked past the cockpit window as he delved into his datapad, scouring for any information that could lead him to Anakin. The Separatist databases yielded nothing new; Anakin's disappearance from their radar had been a mystery for some time. Dooku hoped that the young Jedi had indeed gone to Tatooine to rescue his mother, as he hoped. Suddenly, a ping alerted him to a new message. It read: "Senator Amidala and Jedi Anakin Skywalker captured..." Dooku's blood ran cold. He had just sent Amidala to the Separatist council, and now, both she and Anakin were prisoners. He had to act fast, to stop Gunray before he decided to execute them, and it was too late. With a surge of adrenaline, he disengaged the hyperdrive and turned his ship back towards Geonosis, his heart pounding in his chest.
He attempted to contact a droid on Geonosis, and the same droid who had informed him of Senator Amidala's arrival answered. "What is your command, sir?" the droid inquired.
"What is the council's decision regarding Senator Amidala and Jedi Skywalker?" Dooku asked, his voice tight with apprehension.
"They are scheduled for execution in the arena today," the droid replied in its monotone voice.
"Cancel their execution immediately," Dooku ordered, his voice firm and unwavering. "Send them to my hangar. I will meet them there."
"As you command, sir," the droid responded.
Dooku's anger flared. "Why did you not inform me that Anakin was with her?" he demanded.
"I attempted to do so, sir," the droid replied, "but you refused to listen." With that, the droid ended the communication, leaving Dooku to stew in his own frustration.
He began to review the charges against Anakin and Padmé, his jaw clenching in anger as he read the fabricated accusations of espionage and collaboration with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Gunray's thirst for vengeance had clouded his judgment, leading him to make a grave mistake. Dooku swiftly cleared their charges, his authority overriding Gunray's petty accusations. Amidala had sought an audience with him, and the only reason he had initially refused was his own desperation to find Anakin. It was a cruel irony that his own eagerness had nearly cost him the very thing he desired most. With their charges cleared and their execution averted, Dooku focused on the task at hand. Convincing Anakin to join him. Time was running out, and the fate of the galaxy hung in the balance.