Chapter 11: Battle of Geonosis
It had been a couple of days since Padmé and Anakin forged a force bond with one another. Both were incredibly happy with it as they could communicate through their bond and sense what the other was feeling. As well as being able to locate one another in times of duress. This was obviously a blessing created by the Force. Well, that is what Anakin believed.
At the end of breakfast, Anakin went out to the meadow to do his morning training. For two hours, he had been practicing his saber skills in Form III and Form V (both variants), like what Master Windu said, be prepared for anything and everything. If the Republic does, in fact, go to war against the Separatists, then he would need to be ready to face off against battle droids, bounty hunters, assassins, and the Sith. For some bizarre reason, he couldn't shake the notion that Count Dooku is merely the apprentice and not the Master. The dark side was gathering in strength. That was apparent. If what he felt was true, the Separatists would likely have millions of battle droids at their command. Keeping one's saber moving is the key to deflecting fire from multiple adversaries.
Just as he was about to finish his saber training, he sensed that someone was watching behind him. A light smirk appeared as he deactivated his saber and clipped it to his belt. Not even bothering to turn around, he said. "Did you enjoy the show?"
"Very much," she stood up from where she sat in the meadow. The smile on her face quickly became neutral. Thanks to their bond, she could tell something was on his mind. Despite his best attempts to hide it, she could tell he was concerned about something important. "What's bothering you?"
She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look uncertain. He didn't want to burden her with what was on his mind, but he knew she would continue to sense something was wrong. "It's probably just my imagination, but I get the feeling something bad has happened to Obi-Wan."
"What do you think has happened?" Concern was laced in her voice.
"I don't know," he replied honestly. "However, the dark side is growing, and I sense that Obi-Wan has run into some trouble while looking for the ones who ordered your assassination. He has likely stumbled onto something much bigger by now."
"Do you know that for certain?" Warning bells erupted in her mind. If what he said was true, then whatever Master Obi-Wan found must be tied to the Separatists. She had also felt the dark side grow, and if what she assumed was correct, trouble will soon be upon them.
"Not really. But I'm gonna try meditating. Hopefully, that will give me some insight into what is going on," he said. Sitting in a meditative position, he began to close his eyes. Thinking the same thing, Padmé decided to join him.
". . .and perhaps more," she replied before closing her eyes. She may not be as skilled as him when it comes to using the Force, but that did not mean she wasn't willing to try.
Just as he taught her, she opened herself to the Force and let the energy surrounding Naboo flow through her. He had commented more than once that Naboo had a stronger connection to the Force than Coruscant. On Coruscant, the Jedi were mostly blind, only receiving fragments. But here, the energy flowed more freely, allowing one to see things more clearly. For a couple of minutes, despite the warm air and peacefulness of the planet, she saw nothing; however, the same couldn't be said for Anakin. The nineteen-year-old Padawan had found his way into the realm of the Force and, thanks to the energy around the planet. It never ceased to amaze him how the Force was more connected here than on Coruscant. The energy generated from the planet was more potent than on Yavin IV, and he couldn't help but wonder if other planets were strong in the Force, similar to Naboo.
Entering the Force, Anakin searched for the answers he sought about Obi-Wan's current situation. Utilizing the bond he shared with his Master, he soon found himself on a desert planet. What could this dust ball have to do with Obi-Wan, he wondered? He delved deeper into the Force, focusing on Obi-Wan. He saw him chained to a pole in a large arena with bug-like aliens cheering in the stands. Not a minute later, the leader of the bugs announced that the execution would begin and released some dangerous creatures. That was as far as Anakin got before the vision ended, and he jumped to his feet, sweating. His sudden action brought Padmé out of her own meditative trance; she looked equally as concerned. Chances were she saw the same thing.
"I must make contact with the Jedi Council," Anakin wiped the sweat from his head.
"We can use the palace's communication center in the hangar bay." When Padmé finished, he took off toward the lake house with her following close behind.
After getting what they needed, the two hitched a ride on the water speeder to travel to the capital's docks. There, Anakin went to a speeder store to rent a speeder. Being pressed for time, he didn't argue much with the salesman and paid for a rental speeder. Together, he and Padmé hopped into the speeder, where Anakin jammed the pedal down and drove them to the palace with frightening speed. By accelerating through the streets of Theed, he managed to cut down the time it would have normally taken to reach the palace. When they reached the palace, two guards and Captain Typho came to greet them. "Senator Amidala. Padawan Skywalker, we received your transmission. What is the problem?"
"It's urgent that we get in contact with the Jedi Council," Anakin answered the good captain as the guards helped Artoo and 3PO out of the speeder.
Seeing the alarm on the Jedi's face, Typho snapped into military mode and led them inside without a moment of hesitation. The group entered the hangar bay's communication room, where Anakin immediately approached the console and punched in his encryption code for the Jedi Temple. "Sith, I should only be doing this if the situation has taken a turn for the worse, but I have to inform Father and the Council of what I felt." Mentally cursing himself for doing such a thing, but needed to be sure about Obi-Wan's situation.
Padmé watched as her lover try to get a hold of the Jedi temple. She could tell through their bond that he was really concerned about Obi-Wan. Padmé turned around when she felt some people approaching from behind. Sola, Darred, Ryoo, and Pooja entered the room, all wearing looks of concern. "Sola, Darred. Why are you and the children here?"
"We were in the market when we spotted you and Anakin flying through the city on your way here. Given how he was driving, I assume something must have happened," Sola replied, looking at a concerned Anakin trying to get a response. Ryoo and Pooja let go of their parents' hands and went to their aunt.
"We sensed that Master Kenobi has run into some trouble while hunting down the bounty hunter," Padmé said after hugging her nieces. "Anakin is trying to get in touch with the Council."
Anakin slammed a hand on the console when no one picked up. "Come on, Master Windu, respond already."
A blue holoimage of Mace Windu finally appeared on the terminal. "Windu here." The stoic Jedi Master looked at Anakin with a look of neutrality. "What is it, Anakin?"
Quickly, the Padawan composed himself, "forgive me for contacting you out of nowhere, Master, but I need to know, are the other members of the Council with you?"
"We are here, young Skywalker," the holoimages of Masters Yoda, Mundi, and Plo appeared. All of them wore neutral expressions. Master Yoda soon added, "a disturbance in the Force you felt?"
"Yes, Master. I sensed that Obi-Wan had run into trouble while searching for the people who put the hit on Senator Amidala. The Force showed me that he is to be executed soon."
Mace's expression grew more serious. "You are sure the Force showed you this?"
"Yes, Master."
Master Yoda closed his eyes, trying to feel for Obi-Wan's Force signature. "Alive, but in danger, Master Kenobi is. The dark side is too clouded to see his future."
Before Mace, Artoo beeped and whistled. "A transmission from who?" Anakin asked. When the astromech beeped again, Anakin's eyes widened. "Obi-Wan? He wants me to retransmit a message to the Council."
He looked at R2 for a second, then had him plug into the terminal. "Go ahead, Artoo."
R2 beeped and spun and projected an image of Obi-Wan in front of them. "Anakin, my long-range transmitter has been knocked out," the Jedi's hologram explained. "Retransmit this message to Coruscant." R2 stopped the message there, with Obi-Wan seeming to freeze in place.
Anakin looked at Padmé. "Do it." Padmé stepped over, pressing a button. She gave him a nod, saying he could continue. "Play the message."
The droid gave a beep, and Obi-Wan's hologram began to move once more. "I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries of Geonosis. The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here, and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala."
Anakin and Padmé exchanged knowing glances, neither of them very surprised by that information. This made a lot of sense as like Anakin said, Nute Gunray was the one who put a bounty on her. Captain Typho looked equally angered because he would never forget the harm Nute Gunray did to the citizens of Naboo all those years ago. "The Commerce Guild and Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming an—"
"Wait! Wait!" Obi-Wan immediately activated his lightsaber and started deflecting blaster bolts from droidekas. When the first set of lasers appeared, Darred and Sola covered their daughters' eyes.
"Obi-Wan!" Anakin cried when the transmission ended.
"More happening on Geonosis, I feel, than has been revealed," Yoda said in a grave tone.
"I agree," Mace said. "We must leave for Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan," his voice was stern, and his expression became even more serious.
"Master, I can join you on Geonosis," said Anakin, who wished to help Obi-Wan.
"No, if what he says is true, then the Geonosians will likely have assembled hundreds of battle droids by now, and the Senator's safety has become much more serious," Mace's voice hinted a tone of finality. "Anakin, we will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you is to stay where you are. Protect the Senator at all costs. That is your first priority," Mace said, leaving no room for argument.
It was a struggle for Anakin not to protest, but he managed to hold his tongue. "Understood, Master," despite not wanting to be left behind, he knew that Padmé's safety came first. Not only would there be droids on Geonosis, but also the bounty hunter, Dooku, Ferus, and the Geonosians.
When the transmission went dark, Padmé hugged him tightly after noticing the look of resignation on his face. "Ani, we have to go help him," sending a wave of comfort through their bond, trying to ease his nerves. "They'll never get there in time to save him. They have to come halfway across the galaxy."
There was no response from him.
"Look, Geonosis is only half a parsec away!" Padmé announced, flipped a few more switches to show him the flight plan.
"That is assuming he is still alive," closing his eyes while resignation dripped down his voice.
Padmé gave him a sharp look. "Ani, are you just going to stay here and let him die? He's your friend. Your mentor," she argued.
"What choice do I have, Padmé?! Obi-Wan is like my brother. . .but I cannot take you into battle, especially not with hundreds of battle droids, that bounty hunter, and Count Dooku. And you heard Master Windu. He gave me strict orders to remain here," Anakin shot back.
Padmé heard the tone of regret in his argument and could tell he wanted to go help Obi-Wan. "He gave you strict orders to protect me," she reminded. "He might be able to give you an order, but not me. And I'm going to help Obi-Wan. So if you plan to protect me, you'll have to come along." The smirk on her face let Anakin know that she would go, regardless of what either he or Mace would say.
"And attempting to argue with you will not change your mind?"
"That's right, baby. You can either come with or stay here," she replied with a smirk.
"You really are stubborn, aren't you?" He groaned.
"You love me, though," flashing him a grin.
"Am I missing anything?"
"Just that when you decide to have a debate with me, be prepared to lose. Artoo fire up the engines on my ship. We're going to Geonosis," she ordered. R2 beeped in confirmation.
"Millions of females in this galaxy, and I end up falling for a beautiful yet stubborn politician. Force save me," he said, shaking his head, unable to stop the smile from appearing on his lips.
"I knew it!" Sola exclaimed. "I knew you two would end up together!"
Padmé ignored her sister and kissed him on the cheek before getting on the ship with Anakin and 3PO.
(00)
In the prison stronghold of the droid factory on Geonosis, twisting slowly in the force field, restrained by crackling bolts of blue energy, Obi-Wan Kenobi could only watch helplessly as Count Dooku strode into the room. Wearing an expression that showed great sympathy but one that Obi-Wan certainly did not trust, the regal man walked up right before the Jedi.
"Traitor," Obi-Wan said.
"Oh, no, my friend," Dooku replied. "This is a mistake. A terrible mistake. They've gone too far. This is madness!"
"I thought you were their leader here, Dooku," Obi-Wan replied, holding his voice as steady as possible.
"This had nothing to do with me, I assure you," the former Jedi insisted. Obi-Wan doubted his words of sincerity. "I will petition immediately to have you set free."
"Well, I hope it doesn't take too long. I have work to do." Obi-Wan noted a slight crack in Dooku's remorseful expression.
"May I ask why a Jedi Knight is all the way out here on Geonosis?"
After a moment's reflection, Obi-Wan decided that he had little to lose here, and he wanted to continue to press Dooku so that he might gauge the truth. "I've been tracking a bounty hunter named Jango Fett. Do
you know him?"
"There are no bounty hunters here that I'm aware of. Geonosians don't trust them."
There was a good word, Obi-Wan thought. He didn't believe Dooku when he said there were no bounty hunters around here as he saw Jango Fett with him. However, he needed some information. "Well, who can blame them?" came his disarming reply. "But he is here, I assure you."
Count Dooku paused momentarily, then nodded, apparently conceding the point. "It's a great pity that our paths have never crossed before, Obi-Wan," he said, his voice warm and inviting. "Qui-Gon always spoke very highly of you. I wish he was still alive—I could use his help right now."
"Qui-Gon Jinn would never join you."
"Don't be so sure, my young Jedi," Count Dooku immediately replied, an offsetting smile on his face, one of confidence and calm. "You forget that Qui-Gon was once my apprentice just as you were once his."
"You believe that brings loyalty above his loyalty to the Jedi Council and the Republic?"
"He knew all about the corruption in the Senate," Dooku went on without missing a beat. "They all do, of course. Yoda and Mace Windu. But Qui-Gon would never have gone along with the status quo, with that corruption, if he had known the truth as I have." The pause was dramatic, demanding a prompt from Obi-Wan.
"The truth?"
"The truth," said a confident Dooku. "What if I told you that the Republic was now under the control of the Dark Lords of the Sith?"
That hit Obi-Wan as profoundly as any of the electric bolts holding him ever could. "No! That's not possible." His mind whirled, needing a denial. He, alone among the living Jedi, had battled a Sith Lord, and that contest had cost his beloved Master Qui-Gon his life. "The Jedi would be aware of it."
"The dark side of the Force has clouded their vision, my friend," Dooku calmly explained. "Hundreds of Senators are now under the influence of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious."
"I don't believe you," Obi-Wan said flatly. He only wished he held that truth as solidly as he had just proclaimed.
"The viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with this Darth Sidious," Dooku explained, and given the events of a decade before, it seemed a reasonable claim. "But he was betrayed ten years ago by the Dark Lord. He came to me for help, he told me everything. You must join me, Obi-Wan, and together we will destroy the Sith!"
"I will never join you, Dooku!" Obi-Wan refused, staring intently at the illustrious Count.
The cultured and regal man gave a great and disappointed sigh, then turned to leave. "It may be difficult to secure your release," he tossed back at Obi-Wan as he exited the room.
As soon as he left, Obi-Wan mentally let loose a breath. "I hope Anakin was able to get my message to the Council. Why is it that I cannot shake this feeling about what he said about Sidious being in control of the Senate? It doesn't seem right, nor could it be true. Could it?" These thoughts ran through the Jedi Knight's mind. He would need to inform the Council that's if he manages to make it off this planet alive.
(00)
Anakin brought the Nubian star cruiser out of hyperspace when he neared the red barren planet. Padmé emerged from the refresher after swapping her dress for more activewear fifteen minutes ago. A white battle uniform, a tan utility belt, and a silver armband. In addition, her hair is in an intricately looped bun. "Angel, are you sure about this? There is no going back." He looked at her.
"I am," she determinedly said. "Besides, I have you with me."
"Force, I love you," admiring and matching her determination.
Padmé smiled. "I love you too, my handsome Jedi."
Anakin landed the ship near the exhaust vents of the droid factory. The steam would provide them with cover while infiltrating the factory undetected. Before lowering the ramp, he opened himself up to the Force. It took several minutes, but he eventually was able to locate Obi-Wan still alive; however, his nerves became tight after sensing the angers and hostilities from the Geonosians. Adding to that, he felt the dark side. Count Dooku and Ferus Olin were present. Anakin could also sense the presence of the bounty hunter Jango Fett and Nute Gunray. He hoped with all sincerity that his father would arrive with reinforcements soon. After pulling himself back into the here and now, he powered down the ship and lowered the ramp. From there, they entered the factory with Anakin ordering 3PO and R2 to remain on the ship.
Despite their intentions to remain stealthy, Anakin and Padmé were soon attacked by Geonosian warriors and a squad of battle droids. If that weren't bad enough, they got separated and were forced to use all their skills to survive. While fighting through the factory on the conveyor belts, they had to attack, dodge, and block the incoming fire from the winged Geonosians and the deadly stamping machines. All at the same time, trying to get to Padmé, who got pushed into a vat. Things were not good, but surprisingly, they survived, though they were captured by the bounty hunter Jango Fett and a couple of droidekas. Anakin's lightsaber had even been destroyed after getting sliced in half.
After a short meeting with Dooku, the two were then taken to a courtroom, who tried to persuade Amidala to have Naboo swear allegiance to him in exchange for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Much like the courtrooms scattered about the galaxy, a round room sectioned by curving railings and tall boxed-off areas, with rows of seats behind the main area for interested onlookers. But the makeup of the principals told Padmé that the resemblance to a hall of justice ended right there. Poggle the Lesser, the Archduke of Geonosis, presided over the gathering, helped by his Geonosian aide, Sun Fac, but clearly, there would be no possibility of open-mindedness. Padmé recognized the others as separatist Senators, dignitaries of the various commercial guilds, a member of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, and another person whom Anakin identified as Ferus Olin. The new Sith assassin.
She watched them carefully, noting the visceral hatred in their eyes. This was no hearing, no trial. It was a proclamation of hatred and nothing more. And so Padmé was hardly surprised when Sun Fac stepped forward and announced, "you have been charged and found guilty of espionage." That had told Anakin and Padmé that the decision had already been made, not that they expected anything less of these people. This is only a formality.
"Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?" Poggle sneered at the two, asking in his native tongue.
Unshaken, the cool Senator stared the Geonosian straight in the eye. "You are committing an act of war, Archduke. I hope you are prepared for the consequences."
The Geonosian chuckled. "We build weapons, Senator. That is our business! Of course, we're prepared!"
"Get on with it!" Nute Gunray impatiently shouted from the side. "Carry out the sentence. I want to see them both suffer," the Neimoidian cackled, as he was eager to watch the two die. He had a personal grudge against them both. Amidala for exposing his blockade over Naboo to the Senate and Skywalker for blowing up his droid command ship.
"I have been dreaming of this for a long time. It seems the 22 million credits bounty on your head will be mine," Gunray continued to laugh manically.
Padmé only shook her head in disgust. All this because she had foiled the Neimoidian's plans to exploit her planet when she was Queen. All of this was because she refused to submit to the power Gunray and his followers had in the past and because she embarrassed him in the Senate. "You really are a pathetic coward, Gunray. You're too scared to get your own hands dirty," her sharp retort angered the Viceroy of the Trade Federation and made Ferus laugh.
"You're a fiery one, aren't you. . . It makes sense why Skywalker would want you," he coldly stated before turning to Anakin. "Tell me, is she any good in bed, or should I try her out for myself?" Ferus walked over with a cruel smile on his face as he slowly gave Padmé a once over.
Anakin knew what his old rival was trying to do. "You touch her, Ferus, and I will make you regret it," he sharply replied, releasing his emotions into the Force. Thanks to Mace and Obi-Wan training him, he was able to master his emotions to an extent. That said, he did have his moments. "It pains me at how far you have fallen. You may have been an arrogant asshole, but you were a Jedi. How could you throw that away?"
An angry Ferus sent Anakin to the ground with a hard punch to the face. Then, using the Force, he lifted him and simultaneously started choking him. Padmé tried to intervene, but the two Geonosian's guards held her back. "Do not act so high and mighty when you were the one who sowed the seeds for me turning. I was the best Padawan in the entire order until you came along. Everything was fine until you came and ruined it! You took Darra from me! You ruined me!"
"Y-You ruined yourself," Anakin managed to say. In response, he was slammed hard against the wall, and his air felt more constricted.
"Anakin!" Padmé cried, trying to get out of her captor's grip.
"S-Stay. . .back. . .," Anakin told her before turning his cobalt eyes to meet Ferus's yellow. "This scum is nothing but a traitor. You broke Master Tachi's heart when you fell the dark side."
"She didn't care anything for me!"
"She loved you like a son!"
"You lie!" Ferus argued.
"As much as a mother would ever their child, and you betrayed her!"
"She pretended to care for me! She should have fought harder for me!"
"Always blaming others for your mistakes is a sign of weakness, and your inability to take responsibility for your actions shows just how weak you are."
Ferus angrily roared as he dropped Anakin onto the ground and punched him in the face and stomach multiple times. "I will enjoy watching you and your beloved Senator die. After you two are disposed of, I will pay a visit to your bitch of a mother and stepfamily, where I will kill them slowly and painfully. For your mother, I'll set aside something special."
"Over my dead body," Anakin spat out some blood and gritted his teeth.
"Oh, don't worry. It won't be much longer," Olin chuckled. Padmé broke away from the guard holding him and ran toward Anakin's side as Ferus walked away. She helped him to his feet when Olin ordered the guards to take them to the arena.
Anakin and Padmé were dragged down a dark and gloomy tunnel until they reached the entrance of the arena, where the echoing cheers of the huge crowd gathered could be heard from the arena stands. The two were then forced into the cart.
"Don't be afraid," Anakin said as Padmé leaned her head against his chest. A genuine smile crossed her lips when he put his shackled hands around her petite frame, bringing her close.
"I'm not afraid to die, not when I have you here with me," her voice was soft. Her brown eyes shined with love when she raised her head so her orbs could meet his.
The look in her eyes and the softness of her voice told the young Jedi everything. "I love you, Padmé Amidala. There is no other woman in the galaxy who could possibly compare to you. From the day we met on Tatooine, you have had my heart. And if this is the end, I want you to know I would do anything for you. You are my great love. My angel. If I could have one wish: it would be to be with you." Tears of love fell down Padmé's eyes as he spoke from his heart. She knew he would move planets to protect and be with her. He would fight armies and even go through hell just for her, and she would do the same. No other man could possibly compare to him.
"I love you too, Anakin. The limited time we've spent together has made me happier than I could have ever dreamed," smiling at him as a few tears ran down her face. "You are the best man I have ever met. . .one that I could never live without. When I saw you that day in my apartment, I felt like my heart would burst out of my chest. I'd like nothing more but to be with you for the rest of my life." If this was to be their final moment together, then she wanted him to know how much he meant to her.
Anakin smiled, leaning down as she stood on her toes. Their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss. Whatever words that could have been said or emotions that could have been felt were expressed by this one action.
The moment was soon lost when the driver whipped the creature attached to the cart, telling it to move into the blinding daylight of the arena. There were four large pillars in the center of the arena, with Obi-Wan already chained to one.
Obi-Wan looked from Anakin and Padmé and back with curious eyes, then raised an eyebrow at his apprentice when they stepped out of the carriage and taken to one of the remaining polls. The look Obi-Wan was giving him let Anakin know that he saw them while they were in the tunnel. "Do I dare ask?"
"How much do you want to know?" Anakin replied with his own question.
"If the circumstances were different, then I say all. But that does not appear to be our most pressing matter at the moment," Obi-Wan watched as Anakin was taken to the pillar next to his. "Were you at least able to get my message?"
"I retransmitted your message just as you requested, Master," Anakin explained. "Master Windu told me to stay on Naboo, but Padmé insisted that we come and rescue you. I couldn't stop her."
"Good job," came Obi-Wan's quick and sarcastic reply, to which Anakin rolled his eyes. "I said it before and will say it again. She is more stubborn than you are sometimes."
"You have no idea," Anakin couldn't help but chuckle. "With any luck, the rescue party will arrive quickly."
"We can only hope," he dryly replied. "However, before it is too late, there's something you need to know. . ." Through their bond, Obi-Wan told Anakin about his conversation with Dooku a few hours ago. The younger Jedi was surprised.
"He told you that?" Asked Anakin.
"He did. Whether that is true or not? I do not know. But the Council will need to hear about it. That's assuming we get out of here alive," said Obi-Wan as Poggle addressed the crowd.
At the end of his speech, three of the arena gates opened. A Reek emerged from Anakin's gate and announced its presence with a mighty roar. The next was Obi-Wan, who got an Acklay that screeched loudly. Finally, Padmé got an angry and obviously hungry Nexu. It didn't help that the guards prodded and jabbed them with their staves, angering the beasts further. Hell, the Nexu was particularly pissed as it launched itself at the guard that stabbed it. The creature's big mouth covered the Geonosian entire head and part of its chest, trying to tear it off from the rest of the body. In all, the three were about to become the victims of some very hungry and pissed-off animals.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Anakin said as the Reek approached him.
"Just relax and remember what you know about a Reek's mind. You can use the Force to influence and make it work for you," Obi-Wan said.
"What about Padmé?" Anakin inquired.
"She seems to be on top of things," Obi-Wan commented wryly, gesturing for Anakin to look. To his surprise, she had managed to free one of her hands and climb onto the top of her pillar.
"Damn, I love that woman."
Anakin looked back just in time to see the Reek charge at him with the intent to kill. The young Jedi leapt into the air, landing on its back, and wrapped his chains around the beast's strong horn. As the beast bucked and tugged trying to throw his prey off, breaking the metal ring holding the chain to the pole. Free from the pole, Anakin swung the chain around the Reek's neck, trying to get it under control. Force the thing was angry.
At the top of her pillar, Padmé was furiously trying to free her wrist from the remaining shackle. But the angry Nexu had other ideas as it attempted to climb the pole. Padmé made the hungry creature even angrier when she whacked it in the face with her chain. Before falling, the Nexu violently splashed its claws across her back, tearing through her uniform and leaving several deep lacerations on her back. Gunray chuckled when Padmé screamed in pain as the creature's claws tore through her skin.
When Anakin heard Padmé cry out in pain, he broke his concentration on the Reek to look at her. This, however, allowed the Reek to push him off and drag him across the sand. It took a few minutes, but Anakin finally got back to his feet. Slowly, he approached the beast while using the Force to calm it down; as soon as it was calm enough, he hopped back onto it again and wrapped his chain around the creature's neck. Again, it tried to throw him off, but Anakin had made a connection with it and managed to get the Reek to settle down.
Obi-Wan had managed to get free of his pole thanks to the Acklay. He took a stave from a guard and tried to fight off the creature's continuous onslaught. A smile tugged at his lips when the spear he threw connected to the Acklay's neck, and the creature screeched in pain. Yet it didn't last as it pulled the spear out with its strong jaw and broke it in half. The smile on Obi-Wan's face quickly vanished.
When the Nexu tried to climb the pillar again, Padmé leapt off of the pole and let the chain tug her back, sending her in a spin about the pole. She tucked her legs as she spun, then double-kicked the Nexu off the pillar, where it landed hard on the ground. Quickly, she climbed back to the top of the pole and finally got her remaining shackle off.
An indignant Nute Gunray cried. "She can't do that! Shoot her or—or something!"
The Nexu whimpered in pain and snarled after regaining desire for its prey. Unfortunately, it didn't have time to try again as the Reek Anakin was riding charged toward the snarling creature and trampled over it. The carnivorous creature laid their dead.
"Jump!" Anakin said to her. Padmé nodded and jumped off her pillar, landing behind Anakin.
She breathed a sigh of relief and kissed him on the cheek while wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thanks, babe." Anakin shook the reins around the Reek's neck and had it go to Obi-Wan's position.
"Come on, old man!" Anakin shouted as they neared him. Obi-Wan ignored what Anakin called him and quickly took Padmé's hand so she could help get him on the Reek.
"This isn't how it's supposed to be! Jango! Finish her off," an annoyed and frustrated Nute Gunray ordered the bounty hunter to finish off the Senator. Ferus looked ready to do just that but stopped after receiving a look from Count Dooku.
"Patience, Viceroy, patience. She will die," Dooku said to the frustrated Gunray in an assured voice.
Ferus' scowl morphed into an excited grin when a group of droidekas rolled out from the gates surrounding the Reek and three prisoners. He would soon get to see Skywalker and his harlot dead. The grin vanished when he heard a familiar hum from a lightsaber. Turning around, he saw a purple lightsaber blade held beside Jango's neck and immediately knew who it belonged to. Fortunately, so did Dooku.
The Count smiled and turned to see his old friend. "Master Windu, how pleasant of you to join us," he said with his typical charm.
"This party's over," Mace coolly said. Then hundreds of lightsabers were ignited, all of them humming in concert with one another. The Geonosians immediately went quiet when the Jedi made their presence known in the stands and the arena.
Dooku did not seem the least bit concerned. "Brave, but, uh, foolish, my old Jedi friend. You're impossibly outnumbered."
Mace scoffed. "I don't think so," the Jedi Master coolly replied. Just then, several battle droids came rushing in from the tunnel behind him and started firing blaster bolts. Mace spun around, swinging his lightsaber, deflecting many of the incoming bolts, turning a couple back on the droids. But Mace was forced to jump off the balcony when Jango ignited his flamethrower, catching part of his cloak. Using the Force, he leapt into the air and landed in the arena, where he discarded his burning cloak.
The entire stadium was in a frenzy when the fighting immediately started. Hundreds of battle droids came running out of the many gates, firing lasers after lasers at the Jedi who ran to engage them. Two Jedi tossed lightsabers at Obi-Wan and Anakin. Simultaneously igniting their blades, Anakin an emerald and Obi-Wan a sapphire. They cut their shackles off and joined in the battle. Obi-Wan went to help his fellow Jedi while Anakin stayed behind, working his saber to deflect the several incoming laser bolts at him and Padmé.
Padmé, in turn, picked up a discarded blaster from the ground; carefully picking her targets, she took out droid after droid. Anakin had to admit she was an excellent marksman. He spotted Darra and Tru working together. They were a part of the strike team. The former gave him a curt nod after turning away a couple laser bolts. Letting him know that they had his back. Anakin returned the gesture and went to help Padmé, who had taken over a carriage after shooting a Geonosian soldier riding an Orray. Hopping in the carriage, the Orray was dragging. He sliced and deflected the incoming laser bolts; meanwhile, Padmé shot down as many droids as she could.
Mace and Obi-Wan fought back-to-back, working in tandem to deflect the blaster bolts back at the droids and slicing a couple that got close. Both Jedi knew this was going to be an anything-but-easy battle. Elsewhere, Jedi Master Coleman Trebor used the Force to leap onto the balcony with his green saber ignited, prepared to confront Dooku. Yet Jango interceded by firing a couple blaster shots. Coleman parried two but was swiftly taken out by the other two and fell off the balcony onto the arena.
Still working together, Mace and Obi-Wan barely managed to avoid getting hit by the charging Reek. Whilst Obi-Wan was knocked aside, the beast chased after Windu, who tried to get away from it. Jango rocketed into the air, believing it would be an ideal moment to take out the unsuspecting Jedi. Mace spun around, swinging his lightsaber upward as the Reek neared him and took out one of its horns. However, he was knocked down, and his lightsaber rolled out of his hands.
Jango landed on the battlefield and dived to grab hold of the fallen lightsaber, but Mace was faster. Quickly returning to his feet, he reached out with the Force, and his lightsaber flew to his outstretched hand. The now two-horned Reek roared furiously before charging at Jango, trying to stomp him as he rolled desperately in the sand. Jango survived thanks to his armor, but the same couldn't be said for his jetpack. The Reek had damaged it. When the creature prepared to go into another charge, the bounty hunter stood up, holding one of his blasters. After firing a shot in the creature's face, he dives to the right and rolls away from the dead beast. Before he could catch his breath, he whirled around to see Mace charging at him, and he fired.
Mace easily parried the blast fire away as he charged in on the bounty hunter. He sliced the blaster in half. Desperately backing up, Jango tried to rocket away, but his malfunctioning jetpack made that impossible, thus giving Mace the opening. With a quick spin, Mace sliced his lightsaber through the bounty hunter's neck, decapitating him. Mace closed his eyes briefly in regret at what he had to do. Up on the balcony, a shocked Dooku had observed what his former friend had done and was left without a word. Boba gaped in sadness when the Jedi killed his father, making him an orphan.
The battle between the droids and Geonosians against the Jedi intensified as more battle droids marched onto the arena. Slowly, they began to overwhelm the Jedi. As Anakin and Padmé continued to take down battle droids and Geonosians, a droideka blasted their Occlay, tipping their chariot over and making them fall to the ground. They recovered quickly and stepped into their overturned carriage for more cover. The droids firing at them either had their lasers returned or were shot down. Anakin redirected a super droid's laser fire back, taking its arm off while Padmé shot the droid down.
"You call this a diplomatic solution?" Anakin smiled at Padmé.
"No, I call it aggressive negotiations," she smiled back at him, and they continued their flawless teamwork.
Several more droids approached the couple's downed chariot, firing a storm of lasers. Anakin was furiously working his saber in a defensive position, deflecting and redirecting shot after shot. Thanks to his specialty in Shien, he could do it more efficiently and turned away all shots aimed at either of them. However, that did not appear to matter, as no matter how many droids he and Padmé would take down, more would just come to take their place. Fortunately, fate decided to smile upon them as a group of droids were forcibly shoved away. Leaping in front of them were Darra and Tru; both were heavily sweating from the battle.
"Thanks, guys. I owe you one," said Anakin as they provided cover.
"Let's not start keeping track of who owes who yet," a sweating Tru deflected some incoming blaster bolts.
"How about we say we're eternally even," Darra commented. She looked over a squad of droids to see her Master working with Master Ry-Gaul and a few others. Her rust-colored eyes widened when a hard Force shove and spread of lasers took out a handful of droids. Turning her gaze to see where it came from, she was surprised to see the Senator's blaster free hand was outstretched, and her gun was pointed in the direction of the downed droids.
"Nice work, angel."
"Thanks, Ani," the tired Senator smiled. Sucking in a sharp breath, she continued to fire a spread of lasers.
"Did I hear right?" Tru looked from Darra to Anakin and Senator Amidala. The two may be in battle, but he could see how perfectly they were working together, and there seemed to be an attachment between them.
"Apparently," Darra responded, trying to get her mind around how familiar the two seemed. She remembered what Anakin had said years ago about meeting her, and then it clicked. "So, you're the woman Anakin has become so fond of. I cannot say I blame him either, as he has good taste in women," looking the bloodied and sweating Senator over. Force, she did look like a warrior.
"Look, I'll explain later," resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "For now, we need to focus on the here and now. We have to help the others. Ready to try the new thing?"
"Definitely."
"Just say the word."
"Now!" Anakin shouted. Together, the three Padawans reached deep into the Force, and a powerful shove from their outstretched hands sent several droids flying back. "Run!" Anakin ordered.
The four ran through the clear path toward the center of the arena, where Windu was working with several other Jedi. Anakin managed to get to his left after slicing a couple of droids apart. Obi-Wan appeared on Mace's right with Soara and Ry-Gaul after Kenobi defeated the Acklay. "You better have a real good reason for being here." Father and son worked together in sync to repel their multiple adversaries.
"Be mad at me later. Right now, we have bigger things to worry about," Anakin argued. Mace hated to admit it, but Anakin had a point.
Anakin quickly leapt in front of Tru when he fell down after getting shot in the right arm. Tru may be flexible, but he relies too heavily on using his right arm. While he was skilled at having his saber in both hands. The same could not be said for his left as it was limited by how much he trained while using it. Darra saw this too, as she knew Tru was weak on his left, and hopped in front beside Anakin. While they worked together, Ry-Gaul went to help his injured Padawan. Padmé proceeded to take down as many droids and Geonosians as possible. The winged bugs were more difficult to shoot than the ones without. A fact that was proven true when she fired a couple bolts at one of the Geonosians, who was zipping around the air and only managed to blast off one of its wings. The two last shots she fired would have claimed the bug's life had it not moved. Instead, they hit Gunray in the chest, and his lifeless body fell off the balcony.
Despite the valiant efforts of the Jedi, they were all forced to the center of the arena with only forty-one still alive, completely surrounded. On the balcony, looking over the battlefield, Dooku gestured for the droids to cease firing. Padmé, Anakin, Darra, and the remaining Jedi lowered their weapons, panting and profoundly sweating.
"Master Windu, you have fought gallantly, worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order," Dooku mockingly said with a subtle amount of crudeness laced in his voice. "Now, it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared." Dooku paused to look at the remaining gathered Jedi. He had no intentions of letting them live.
"We will not become hostages for you to use as bartered, Dooku!" Mace stated coldly, not believing that Dooku would keep his word.
"Then, I'm sorry, old friend. You will have to die," Dooku said in a falsely sympathetic tone that didn't sound the least bit sorry. The droids trained their blasters on the Jedi, preparing to fire once given the signal.
"Look!" Padmé shouted. Her gaze looked up, as did everyone else. Several gunships descended fast onto the arena. Immediately, the fighting began again, with the gunships laying down a storm of laser blasts, taking out the droids and trying to clear a path. The transport Yoda was on ordered. "Around the survivors, a perimeter create."
"Time to go!" Anakin said, helping Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Darra onto one of the closest gunship. Thanks to the timely arrival of the clone troopers, the remaining Jedi were able to board the transports. Soara, Ry-Gaul, and Tru got onto the ship beside Anakin and Obi-Wan were on.
A dissatisfied Count Dooku turned away and left as the gunships flew the surviving Jedi away.
R2-D2 beeped and chirped when Threepio sat up after having his head reattached to his body. "Oh, I've had the most peculiar dream." The protocol droid looked around, surveying the aftermath of the battle that had taken place. It was carnage as Geonosians and Jedi were dead, and droids were destroyed.
Boba used what little strength he had in his legs to walk down from the balcony he was on to pick up his father's helmet. The last amount of strength his legs had left him as he fell to the ground with his forehead laced against the helmet, crying.
(00)
Outside of the stadium, another battle was taking place. One that was much larger as the Trade Federation ships had deployed thousands of battle droids to fight against the Republic clone troopers. On the gunship, Anakin looked from Padmé to Darra. Much like her, she did not escape the arena unscathed, receiving a laser bolt to her shoulder. "First round is on me when we get back to Coruscant."
"Imma hold you to that," Darra half-jokingly replied. "That's assuming we do get back. . . But there's something I want to ask you something. When did you and the Senator get together?" A light amount of teasing dripped down her voice.
Anakin and Padmé flushed. "Really? You're bringing that up now?"
"Why not? I need something to ease my mind. Besides, I have to know if she is good enough for you," her eyes twinkled with mirth.
"That's enough, you two," Obi-Wan cut off any further argument. "We have a more immediate matter to attend to," referring to the current battle between the clone troopers and droids.
"Later," the two said in unison. Darra playfully nudged Padmé and whispered, "take care of him."
Anakin hardened his gaze when the gunship approached a huge Techno Union starship and opened fire. The blasts from the laser cannons had little effect on the giant ship. "Aim right above the fuel cells!" Anakin ordered the pilot. The pilot adjusted his targeting computer and fired some rockets.
When the missiles connected, huge explosions rocked the starship and toppled over a group of droids.
"Good call, my young Padawan," Obi-Wan congratulated Anakin, then looked at the clones. "Attack those Federation starships quickly." The gunships fired rockets at the closest ship.
The battle raged on, with the clones and Jedi fighting furiously with the droids. Explosions were happening everywhere: on the ground, in the sky, and large blankets of smoke covered the area. Through the smoke, Obi-Wan spotted two speeders flanked by two Geonosian ships, heading to the main hangar away from the battle. "Look over there!"
"It's Dooku and Olin!" Anakin cried. "Shoot them down!"
"We're out of rockets, sir," the pilot said.
"Follow them!" Anakin ordered.
"We're going to need some help," Padmé said.
"There isn't time. We can handle this," Obi-Wan referred to himself, Anakin and Darra.
The fighters flanking Dooku and Ferus banked off at the Count's order, appearing behind the gunship and firing their cannons. The clone pilot weaved the ship through their laser fire, but one of the rockets got too close, causing the ship to rock sharply to one side. Padmé yelled as she lost her grip and plummeted off the ship, where she fell hard on the sand hard. She went tumbling down a large sandy cliff until finally she stopped and lay there unconscious.
"Padmé!" Anakin screamed, preparing to jump out after her, but was held back by Darra.
"We got her! Trooper with me," Darra ordered as she and one of the clones with them jumped out of the gunship, landing a meter away from the unconscious Senator.
"Anakin, I understand how you feel. But Padmé will be in good hands," Obi-Wan's face was a mixture of sympathy and seriousness. "I can't take Dooku and Ferus alone! I need you! If we catch them, we can end this war right now," placing a gentle hand on Anakin's shoulder.
A large part of Anakin wanted to jump down after Darra and the clone to check on Padmé, but he sensed she was only unconscious. Plus, Obi-Wan was right. They needed to capture Dooku and Ferus. If not, then execute them if need be. He sucked in a large breath and nodded his head.
They followed the speeders to the main hangar, where both Anakin and Obi-Wand hopped off the gunship with their lightsabers ignited and ran inside just as the two Geonosian starfighters destroyed the gunship they were just on. The two Jedi ran inside the huge hangar, where they found Dooku and Ferus next to a control panel with a dozen battle droids beside them. A small interstellar sail ship sat nearby.
"Kenobi. . .and Skywalker, I presume," the Count mused, eyeing the two as Ferus removed his saber from his belt, igniting its crimson blade. The droids took aim, ready to fire at the Jedi.
Anakin glared intently at Dooku. "You're gonna pay for all the Jedi you killed today, Dooku." The anger in his voice could be heard, as Dooku was responsible for the deaths of so many Jedi today. Never again will their Force signatures be felt.
Anakin, keep calm. We're outnumbered and will need to work together. Obi-Wan said through their bond. He felt the deaths of his fellow Jedi and was equally as angry.
Anakin swallowed his anger and resisted the powerful urge to charge in like a Reek. He observed what they were up against, releasing his emotions into the Force. Compared to Dooku, the darkness in Ferus seemed insignificant as this man was not only dark but dangerously powerful. We have to separate them. I'll take Ferus and the droids. . . Anakin said through their bond.
I don't think that is the best choice for this situation right now, Obi-Wan said.
Look. Out of everyone, Dooku is the most dangerous person here. I just need you to keep him busy long enough for me to face against Ferus and the droids. Come on, you got to admit I'm right about this. And this is not really the best time to have a discussion. Anakin reasoned.
Obi-Wan hated to admit to but grudgingly and reluctantly agreed. May the Force be with you.
May the Force be with you, Master.
Anakin walked a few feet to the left with the droids and Ferus following his movement. "I have been dreaming of this Skywalker. Kill him," Ferus said in a crude and sadistic voice. Holding his lightsaber up in a Shien-ready position. The droids immediately fired on Anakin. Swiftly swinging his emerald saber in a defensive position, Anakin deflected and redirected the laser bolts back at the droids. He leapt into the air over a few of them after five of them were taken out and proceeded to cut the others down. After finishing the droids, Anakin instinctively turned around just in time to see Ferus somersault over to him, swinging his saber. Anakin immediately went into Soresu, parrying and dodging Ferus' lightsaber strikes.
Meanwhile, back with Obi-Wan and Dooku, the two circled each other, with the Count looking as calm and confident as ever. "You will find that my Jedi powers are far beyond yours. Now. . .back down," releasing a burst of Force lightning from his right hand.
Obi-Wan defensively raised his sapphire blade to block the lightning. "I don't think so," said Obi-Wan after absorbing the last of the Sith's lightning.
Count Dooku smiled, drawing his curved lightsaber and igniting its red crimson blade. Obi-Wan launched himself forward, and their lightsabers meet in several strikes. "This is not going to be easy," Obi-Wan mentally said, evading a stab at his left side.
Anakin kept Ferus at bay, meeting his blade with his. Anakin remembered that Ferus had been exceptionally skilled in using Ataru, and his skills appeared to have grown. The open area suited him perfectly. However, as skilled as he was, Ferus couldn't penetrate Anakin's defenses. Seeing this, Ferus went into Makashi. Anakin knew this Form was considered obsolete as it was designed for blade-to-blade combat. After parrying a strike to his arm, Anakin went into Djem So, launching a counterattack. Now, on the offensive, Skywalker lunged forward and started attacking.
Ferus swung his saber, meeting Skywalker's in an arc. Retracting his blade, Ferus brought it down on Skywalker, only for Anakin to block the incoming strike with a saber and sent him stumbling back with a front kick to the stomach. He could decide what annoyed him more. The look of disappointment Skywalker was giving him or that held his saber off to the side.
"Lay down your weapon, Ferus. Don't make me kill you," Anakin said, bringing his saber in a ready stance.
That did it as Ferus angrily launched himself at Anakin, furiously slashing his saber. Skywalker believed he was the better swordsman! Believed he could defeat him! He would teach him the price for his arrogance. Each time Ferus would attack, Anakin would parry, dodge, and counterattack when the moment was right. He could feel his former rival's waves of anger rolling off and felt sorry for him. While they may not have gotten along or liked each other, Anakin did respect him on some levels.
"Come on, Olin. This is your last warning," Anakin said after pushing his adversary back with the Force.
"You make me sick," Ferus's eyes bled yellow as he launched himself into the air with the Force. Anakin rolled forward and brought his saber up as Ferus landed behind and brought his own saber down. Pushing him off, Anakin reversed the grip of his lightsaber and hit Ferus in the chest a couple times, making him stumble back. He seized the moment to slash his sword across Ferus's stomach. His saber clattered on the floor, and Ferus croaked. "Yo-you may have. . . stop-stopped me. B-But you. . .will never defeat him."
That was all Ferus said before closing his eyes, never to open them again. Anakin bowed his head a little. "I'm sorry it had to end this way."
Then, a cry from Obi-Wan made him divert his attention. Obi-Wan layed on the floor in pain with a laceration on his left shoulder and thigh. Just as Dooku raised his red saber to behead Obi-Wan, Anakin used the Force to leap forward and intercept Dooku's killing blow with his green blade and a shower of sparks.
Dooku reacted immediately and backpedaled away from a glaring Anakin. "Brave of you, boy. But foolish."
"Do not underestimate my resolve," Anakin coolly said. For the life of him, Anakin knew who he was up against. The Count was one of the finest swordsman's in the Order before falling to the dark side. Mace had told him about his skills with a lightsaber, and seeing the state Obi-Wan was in made it true.
Dooku laughed. "Ferus told me how Master Windu adopted you and became your father. Let us see what he taught you," he sent lightning out from his left hand, which Anakin was ready for, absorbing it with his saber. Dooku then rushes over and attacks Anakin with multiple thrusts, slashes, and jabs.
Anakin parries and dodges the Count's strikes before launching a swift counterattack. He could see why Dooku was such a gifted and superb swordsman. The man's elegant and swift blade work showed truth and was quite nimble for someone his age. But that did not mean Anakin would back down, as he stubbornly held his ground. So far, he could keep Dooku at bay thanks to his training in both Soresu and Djem. However, whether he could defeat him was questionable. Quickly parrying a stab to his midsection, Anakin brought his blade down only to be blocked by Dooku's and later kicked back.
Upon regaining his footing, he launched himself at the Count, slashing his sword using the Force to enhance his speed, strength, and agility. Count Dooku eventually lost his confident smile; the expression on his face showed agitation as the young man continued to press him. Skywalker reached out with the Force to push him hard against the rocky wall. The boy may be a Padawan, but he was indeed powerful. Not having enough time to ponder Skywalker's power, Dooku rolled away as Anakin leapt in the air and tried to descend on him like a hawk-bat. Anakin immediately jumped off the wall when he failed to strike at Dooku and was instantly back on the floor, attacking Dooku from all sides as the Force flowed through him.
"You have an unusual power Skywalker. Do you really believe you can best me?" Dooku may have complimented him, but it fell to a rhetorical question.
"Anything is possible, Count," Anakin snidely remarked, ready to start attacking again.
Do not press your luck. He wants you to attack. Obi-Wan warned him through their bond, but Anakin brushed it aside and charged at Dooku, much like the Reek had done in the arena.
Obi-Wan watched as Dooku fought patiently and slowly started to gain control of the battle against Anakin. There had to be something he could do, as he could not keep it up forever. Making a decision, he reached deep into the Force, summoning his lightsaber back to his hand. "Anakin!" Tossing the Padawan his borrowed saber. Without breaking the flow of his fighting, Anakin caught and ignited the blade before unleashing a flurry of lightsaber strikes.
Dooku was pushed back by the younger man's onslaught, his red lightsaber flashing ahead and back with equal precision, picking off attack after attack and even countering a few times. He wasn't a master of Makashi for nothing, as he broke through Skywalker's barrage and sliced the hit on the green-bladed lightsaber in half.
The loss of the second lightsaber did not matter, as Anakin preferred to fight with a single blade. Working furiously, he traded blows with the Count before severing the power cable, dimming the hangar. "Keep it together. I can win this," Anakin said to himself as he and Dooku raised their sabers. The two brought their blades down, meeting in an arc, exchanging blow for blow while circling around each other almost like a dance. Anakin could barely catch his breath as he was working hard to stay on even footing with his opponent. He momentarily relaxed after slicing at Dooku's left shoulder, and then he retracted a few steps away.
"Impressive, young Skywalker. Most impressive indeed," Dooku tauntingly congratulated with a grin while going into a Makashi stance. A sweaty and panting Anakin rushed forward with his saber tightly held, slashing vigorously at Dooku.
He knew he was tired, yet brushed it off as he continued to attack despite Dooku expertly fending him and countering. Anakin yelled in pain after receiving a cut near his right eye. Determined to keep fighting, he raised his blue blade, defending and countering the older man's attacks. When he made Dooku stumble back, he pressed the attack by bringing his blade down like a falling avalanche, which Dooku defended by bringing his red blade along a horizontal line. This is what he wanted to happen, as he knew he wanted Skywalker to press him. Meeting Skywalker strength-to-strength was not an option, so he drew on the young man's growing impatience to bring him closer. Just as Skywalker started pushing him down, he unleashed a powerful barrage of lightning from his left hand and used a Force push to send him flying. Dooku deactivated his curved lightsaber and reattached it to his belt.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried as his Padawan landed next to him unconscious. Thank the Force, he could still sense he was alive.
Not a moment later, Master Yoda came into the hangar to see what had befallen Obi-Wan and Anakin before coming face-to-face with his former apprentice. Dooku started things off by using the Force to send a couple pieces of machinery at the diminutive Master. Yoda was ready and used the Force to push them away. Count then pointed his hands at the ceiling to bring down large chunks of the ceiling down on Yoda. Again, the Grand Master was ready and easily pushed the chunks of rock away. Annoyed, Dooku sent a barrage of lightning from his right hand at Yoda, who used the Force to catch it in his own small hand.
Seeing that he would not be able to defeat Yoda when it came to the Force, Dooku redrew his lightsaber, igniting it before saluting at his former Master. Responding in kind, Yoda summoned his lightsaber from his hip. The two leaped forward and started fighting. There, Yoda unleashed his mastery of Ataru to rival Dooku's Makashi.
This continued for a few minutes, and much to Dooku's annoyance, he had to stubbornly admit that he would not be able to beat his former Master. Yoda's small form and mastery of the Force and lightsaber skills were too much for him. So, thinking quickly, he used the Force to crush a column of pipes to make it fall on the injured Obi-Wan and unconscious Anakin.
To save their lives, Yoda retracted from his battle with Dooku, diverting his attention to the falling column. Using the Force, he lifted the falling column away from the two downed Jedi while Dooku got in his solar sailor and took off.
Yoda summoned his wooden cane and sighed as he walked to Anakin and Obi-Wan. Just then, Darra and Padmé came running into the hangar with a squad of clone troopers. Padmé gasped, dropping her blaster as she went to Anakin's side with tears falling down her eyes.
"Anakin, please wake up. Please don't leave me," she tried to shake him awake.
With the help of the clones, Obi-Wan got to his feet. Looking at Senator Amidala, he could tell and hear how much she cared for Anakin, and he felt the same. "He's still alive, Padmé," he said as Darra tried to pull her away.
"What happened to him?" Darra asked, looking at her friend's motionless state. She could tell that he was still alive. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a gash near his right eye.
"Dooku hit him with a powerful barrage of lightning. He was ready for us. I'll explain the rest later. Trooper, get Anakin on the transport and call a medic," Kenobi said.
"Right away, sir," the clone activated his comlink to call for a medic.
A/N: Anakin and Padmé went to Geonosis and wound up getting captured trying to rescue Obi-Wan. But before that, they were able to relay his message to the Council. It was never specified how much the bounty on Padmé was, so I decided to take a guess. In the Canon and Legend, Gunray survived the first battle of Geonosis, and Anakin lost his right arm to Dooku the first time they fought. As I said, this is an AU story, so I let Anakin keep his arm. Instead, he received a gash next to his right eye and got knocked out with Force lightning.
Also, there should have been more Jedi who survived the battle in the arena.
Next Chapter: Aftermath of the Battle and a Decision