Anakin knew that Sol was in the arena. From his place against the pole in the sand, he felt her white glow in the Force that never failed to intoxicate him. Ever since their talk in the spiritual realm of the Force, Anakin realised how much he cared for Sol, and how he was always able to sense her in a room, or arena, full of people. Even on the other side of a building or a ship, Anakin found peace in her signature.
Master Obi-wan was unhappy to see his Padawan and the senator of Naboo in the same arena as him. With his hands chained above his head, he watched as the two were chained to their own poles with their gazes avoiding his.
'I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten my message,' Master Obi-wan had said with sarcasm.
'I retransmitted it as you requested, Master,' Anakin had replied, before he tried to look away from his Master's piercing glare. 'Then we decided to come and rescue you.'
'Good job.'
With the three chained, an address was made from the archducal box of spectators. The crowd roared at the mention of the supposed criminals who will meet their justice from a public execution. The panic settled into the three, and Anakin whipped his head around in an attempt to find where he sensed Sol's signature. His anxiety didn't help and every time he looked into the crowd, he only saw the insects that inhabited a majority of the planet. It seemed impossible, but Anakin wanted to at least see Sol for the last time before his soul entered the Force for eternity.
'They've taken Sol, Master,' Anakin said while looking around, making Obi-wan turn to his Padawan to see his ever-moving gaze. 'I don't know why, but I fear Count Dooku has taken her.'
'She's up there. I see her behind Dooku,' Obi-wan nudged his head to the highest level of the arena. 'Good to see that you two are finally working together, but it just had to be in the most foolish way. I mean really, Anakin, did neither of you think that it would be a bad idea to bring the senator here?'
Anakin huffed. Master Kenobi always found the time to scold him, even minutes from their execution. He would have tried to explain himself further, but the noises from the three openings into the arena made him pause. Padme, Anakin and Obi-wan watched as three monsters were guided into the arena. With electric-current weapons, Geonosian guards zapped the monsters to force them into line and direct them towards the chained prisoners.
For Padme, there was a nexu. A cat-like creature that was quick and vicious, the Geonosian next to it attempted to guide it, but was ripped away and torn in two by its large teeth and claws. Hoots from the crowd sounded and Padme was already working on breaking her cuffs to somehow get away from the definite death sentence.
For Obi-wan there was an acklay. It hissed as it was shocked by the guard next to it but was obedient as its tall, stalk-like legs took its lean body towards its prey. With a large mouth and green skin, the acklay were lethal with their sharp teeth and legs that ended in a sharp point.
And for Anakin, there was a reek. Taking all the vicious elements from a rhino and a bull, the reek huffed smoke from its nose as it entered the death zone. Large tusks protruded from its jaw and from the top of its head, and its stature was thick with muscle and power. At its entrance, Anakin's expression slacked, and he wondered if he would even be able to search the stands again without the help of his vital organs that would be mauled by the monster in front of him.
'Let's try and work together on this one, my young Padawan,' Master Obi-wan readied himself to take on the acklay, and Anakin looked to his Master in surprise.
'What about Padme?'
'She seems to be on top of things.'
Anakin turned to see the senator making her way up her pole with her cuffs loosened and the chain in her hands. He was amazed to see her sudden abilities to climb without support and turned back to see that the reek had been allowed to run free from its guard. Readying himself, Anakin prepared to take on one of the most dangerous animals in the galaxy.
In the stands, Sol watched in horror as her team were set to be become victims of a bloodbath. With her hands cuffed in front of her, she thought about how she could try and find her way down there to help. Count Dooku kept his back to her as he watched the events in content, but Sol only saw how she could make things worse by attempting to attack him from behind. She saw a lightsaber on his belt, but she was surrounded by guards with weapons that could electrocute or kill her. They were only the Geonosis guards, but when Sol spotted the bounty hunter in Mandalorian armor behind her, she knew there was no way for her to escape. She had no choice, but to watch Anakin, Obi-wan and Padme fight for their lives in the arena.
The reek charged and Anakin leapt into the air. With a call to the Force, the Jedi landed on the back of the beast with the chain attached to his wrists around the reek's horn. A loud roar boomed from its mouth, and it pulled backwards, the force of its actions ripping Anakin's chain from the post. A sense of triumph overtook Anakin, but it was short lived as the reek started to parade around the arena in an attempt to throw him off.
Sol watched with a grimace as Obi-wan was sent to the floor with the post falling with him. The acklay hissed as it recovered from charging at the post and colliding its lean body with its stature. Obi-wan found his way to his feet and started to run after his chain was broken from the acklay's sharp legs. Sol started to think more outrageously, as she couldn't stand and watch her friends die.
With a glance over her shoulder, Sol eyed the bounty hunter in silver and blue Mandalorian armour. He held a blaster in his hands and his helmet didn't give away whether he was looking at Sol, or if he was looking beyond her into the arena. She could try and summon his blaster to her, but how would she make her way from the archducal box without being overcome by guards? The bounty hunter was decked out in other weapons, meaning that the loss of his one blaster could mean nothing to him.
Sol's gaze shifted over her right shoulder, where a figure stood with a dark brown robe covering their identity. Their hands sat in their sleeves, and they stood with their gaze out ahead, but Sol knew better, and saw that they were watching Count Dooku. Sol hoped that her instincts were correct, and the Force signature that radiated from the robed figure was one that she had seen before in the Jedi temple.
'This isn't how it's supposed to be! Jango, finish her off!'
Nute Gunray's demand made Sol turn back to see that Padme had jumped down from the post she stood on and was now on the back of the reek with Anakin. The nexu that had sliced through the back of her shirt, leaving three bloody claw marks down her back, was trying to avoid the reek's bounding feet and sharp horns.
'Patience, Viceroy,' Dooku sounded after halting the bounty hunter, named Jango Fett, in his actions. 'She will die. Maybe this is the way it's supposed to end.'
Sol watched in hope as Obi-wan also made it onto the back of the reek, leaving the acklay and the nexu to begin fighting amongst themselves. The nexu drew blood as it clawed at the acklay's legs, making it shriek with a piercing cry. At this change of events, spectators booed and cried at the livelihood still in the three prisoners. They buzzed and threw their bony hands into the air, wanting to see bloodshed and the mauling of humanoids in the arena.
Count Dooku looked shaken and attempted to calm the crowds. While he was distracted, Sol saw the robed figure advance through the box to be next to her. With hands out of their robes' sleeves, Sol heard the clink of her cuffs as a wave of the person's hands broke them in two. Sol's mouth dropped when the cuffs dropped to the floor and a purple lightsaber hummed as it was ignited beside her.
The hood of the robe flew off and the violet blade was raised to be on Count Dooku's shoulder. Sol felt a burst of relief and her chest was overcome with the familiar of Master Mace Windu. The Jedi Master held Count Dooku hostage, his eyes blaring and ready to strike if needed.
'Master Windu, how pleasant of you to join us,' Count Dooku kept his composure as he turned around to face the Jedi Master. 'You're just in time for the moment of truth. I would think these two new boys of yours could use a little more training.'
'Sorry to disappoint you, Dooku,' Master Windu said without any amusement. 'This party's over.'
Around the arena, the ignition of colourful lightsabers filled the air. Jedi Knights and Masters stood stationed at every exit and in every corner, making Geonosian spectators shriek in fear at their presence. Wings flapped as they flew out of their stands, leaving seats vacant and their brown bodies occupied the sky above the arena as they left at the signs of conflict.
Sol turned to the Jedi who had appeared next to her and saw they held their blue lightsaber to the chest of Jango Fett. She couldn't contain her smile as Master Aayla Secura held out the silver and black handle of a lightsaber to the Padawan. Master Secura wore a half smile at the sight of the young woman she had met many years ago and was thankful to have found her cyan lightsaber in the back corridors of the arena.
'Master Yoda is requesting a word with you after all this,' Master Secura said as Sol took the lightsaber from her hand. The Padawan gave her a nervous smile before turning to where Master Windu held Count Dooku, and the other inhabitants of the archducal box were held at lightsaber point by other Jedi.
'Brave, but stupid, my old Jedi friend,' Dooku mocked. 'You're impossibly outnumbered.'
'I don't think so. One Jedi has to be worth a hundred Geonosians.'
'It wasn't the Geonosians I was thinking about,' the Count smirked evilly at Master Windu and caused a bad feeling to swell in her stomach. 'How well do you think one Jedi will hold up against a thousand battle droids?'
From within the arena, droids entered the stands from every entrance. Jedi turned with their weapons aimed high and began deflecting blasts that came their way. Battle droids, super-battle droids, and droidekas attacked the Order, and Jango Fett took the opportunity to slam his blaster against Master Secura's arm and shoot at Master Windu. Sol jumped into action and ignited her saber, deflecting the blast from the bounty hunter with her blade. Fett turned his attention to her and charged forward with his blaster aimed at her face. Sol raised her weapon and went to slice down, but Fett was pushed to the side by Master Windu, the two eventually jumping down into the arena and out of the archducal box.
'I'll follow Dooku!' Master Secura said aloud to Sol, who turned and saw that the man had slipped away in the chaos. 'Help Master Windu!'
And with that, Sol put the Force into the joints of her knees and jumped out of the box to join the sunken battlefield.