The sun nearly blinded him as he broke away from Padme's lips and turned to face death. He was going to die…

His guard undid his bonds from the carriage and strung him up against the large concrete pole. Padme was taken to one side of him and was shown the same favor. On the other side of him, however, he saw Kenobi watching him. "How nice of you to pop in," the older man began sarcastically. "What in the blazes are you doing here anyways?"

"We came to rescue you…"

Kenobi looked up at his chained hands. "Good job."

Anakin grimaced. The Geonosian leader, Poggle the Lesser, stood up and clicked something in his own tongue. Then he heard Dooku say: "Let the executions begin!"

The crowd roared a deafening roar, and three gates were opened. A large rhinoceros looking creature exited, it's ugly eyes blinking at the sun. Next was a crab like animal Anakin knew to be from Felucia, and then came a vicious tiger like thing that attacked the guard poking it.

The three beasts were ushered forward. When the rhinoceros creature saw Anakin, it charged. The slave closed his eyes, not wanting to see it when it crushed him.

He could hear it getting closer, suffering… angry. Just like him.

"Anakin!" he heard Obi-wan cry. The Jedi must have seen his submissive form.

He didn't care though… Not anymore. He wouldn't have to do bad things for his Master. He wouldn't have to suffer anymore…

SW SW SW

Obi-wan panicked when he saw Anakin close his eyes, his body relaxing. The young man was just going to give up? He had seen him kissing Padme… She would be heartbroken if he died.

The Senator was already climbing up the post, fighting the hungry lexu back. He had escaped from the Felucian monster, but Anakin hadn't even tried.

He looked at the beast charging at the young man. It had lowered its horn, ready to make its kill. And then a split second later, Obi-wan found himself running as fast as he could, hands still cuffed as he knocked Anakin out of the way.

The boy's chain was cut off from the post, and he looked up at Obi-wan, dread filling his eyes as Obi-wan's own executor brought it's claws down. The young man threw him off before rolling to his side, narrowly missing the animal's deadly talons.

He fought to regain his breath, but when Obi-wan managed to look up, the rhino like animal was already charging towards Anakin again. The boy didn't see it this time though as he struggled to get to his hands and knees.

He watched in horror as the beast sent him flying through the air, making him land roughly about 20 feet away.

The Jedi didn't have time to see what happened next because he was back to fighting his own battle a split second later.

SW SW SW

"Anakin!" Padme screamed as she saw her love's executor send him soaring through the air. Her body guard landed roughly, though he still appeared to be conscious. The lexu took her diverted attention as an opportunity to try and make it's kill. Padme screamed as she felt the animal's claws sink and tear through her flesh. It took a moment to recover, but her adrenaline caused her to think without a thought of death. She jumped from the post, swinging her body and knocking the lexu to the ground. When she was sure it was unconsciousness, she frantically began to undo her shackles, her eyes flicking to Anakin s she worked. He seemed to be alright but had regained no breath from the impact.

Padme threw the chain from the post, breathing heavily. That was when she heard a snap-hiss of a lightsaber.

Thank the gods.

The Jedi are here…

SW SW SW

Anakin managed to regain his composure, but he knew something in his side was broken due to the blood leaking from his mouth. He spat it out, wiping his chin with his hand. It didn't matter anymore, he was going to die anyways.

He used every bit of will power he had to push away the agony flaring through his ribs. Then he stood and limped forward. The sound of a lightsaber igniting caught his attention, and when he looked to the main box, he saw Master Windu holding his weapon to Dooku's neck.

The two exchanged a few words before it became utter chaos. Jedi had filled the arena, making the Geonosians flee. Anakin smiled. He would get to witness the death of Count Dooku, who was killing him anyways, and enjoy every moment of it. Revenge. It was something he longed for.

He began to limp forward towards the box, a sick smile on his face, when he heard the gates open again. Thousands of battle droids marched out, and the true fight began…

SW SW SW

It turned out that the Republic had had a clone army. Thousands of them came flying to the rescue right when Dooku was about to kill them all.

Anakin's adrenaline blocked all the pain in his side as he jumped onto one of the Republic's war vessels. Padme was next to him, along with Obi-wan.

The Jedi handed him a lightsaber. "You know how to use this?" he asked as the ship took off. Anakin nodded hesitantly, taking the weapon. "Good, you're going to need it."

What he hadn't expected was to see Dooku flying away… And what Anakin really hadn't planned on was Padme falling out of the ship. He wanted to go after her, but Obi-wan needed him, too.

Also, there was the fact that he wanted to kill Dooku so badly. He wanted to feel his new weapon sink into the old man's flesh.

They ended up on a platform where they found Dooku preparing his ship.

"Ah, Master Jedi," the Sith said as he saw Kenobi approach him, weapon drawn. "How pleasant to see you. Qui-gon always spoke so highly of you, you know."

"You won't escape this time," Kenobi replied confidently, ignoring the Count's words.

Anakin stayed behind the Jedi, but the Sith's eyes flashed as he saw the weapon glowing in his hands.

At last, he thought triumphantly. I will have my revenge…

SW SW SW

Obi-wan watched as Dooku's eyes flicked to Anakin. The old man seems almost pleased to see the boy.

"Ah, Kenobi," the Count began, a hint of pity in his voice. "Surely you can pick a better fighting partner than a slave? Perhaps it just needs whipped to be reminded of its place."

That seemed to strike a nerve because Anakin charged, his Force signature radiating hate, anger and pure internal suffering. The feeling of the young man's soul dying emotionally was almost too much to bear. Obi-wan almost instantly pitied him.

But Anakin's signature began to show remorse as the Count spilled Sith Lightning straight at his chest. The boy was sent flying into the wall, the spidery, white, electricity still wrapping around his twitching body.

Dooku didn't stop either, he kept shooting Anakin with his dark power, intent on making the boy scream… A look of satisfaction crossed the Sith's face.

The Count only stopped when Obi-wan attacked. The Jedi fought and fought and fought, his body slowing down until Dooku slipped past his defenses and cut his leg and arm. He fell to the ground, gasping.

"This really is a shame," Dooku continued. "You disappoint me." Lifting his saber above his head, he brought it down, ready to kill Obi-wan. Only he was stopped by a green lightsaber.

It was Anakin…

SW SW SW

"Really boy?" Dooku laughed. "You should learn your place."

He was still hurting from the Count's attack. He wouldn't survive this fight, and Obi-wan and Dooku both knew it. But he swung his lightsaber anyways, making the elder man back away. The fatigue and pain of his ribs came back, and he fell to the ground protectively in front of the injured Jedi.

"You'll have to kill me first," he whispered.

Dooku stepped forward, an evil glint in his eyes. Anakin looked up at him, ready to face whatever the man would do to him.

But the Count just hit him… hard. The next blow was amplified by the Force, sending his face to the ground. He was kicked in his injured side, and an agonized cry echoed throughout the room. He felt blood leak between his lips as he rolled over, wanting to protect Obi-wan from the Sith.

"You're not worth my effort, slave," Dooku taunted before turning on his heel and disappearing into his ship.

Anakin heard faint blaster fire echo outside as the vessel exited the tunnel.

"Anakin…" he heard Obi-wan choke. The older man reached out to comfort him.

But the feeling as if fire were flooding through his veins made him scream and twist away from the Jedi's touch. Poison… Dooku had injected poison into him, and Anakin knew he now had less than an hour to live…