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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐀

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Aurora didn't know how much time had passed since Count Dooku left. It could've been hours or days since the door to the small room closed, leaving her in isolation with nothing but her thoughts. To some, the silence may have been a blessing. But to Aurora, it was a curse. The only thoughts that bounced around in her head were about what she and Obi-Wan would face in the future. And her mind came up with a lot of terrible things.

What felt like an eternity passed when the large metal door finally opened again. But what Aurora didn't expect was to find three bug-like aliens standing in the doorway. That was her first time laying eyes on the Geonosians, and she wished she never had. It wasn't long before one of them entered the room and unlocked her chain from the floor. The next thing she knew, Aurora was being pulled out of the room. That caused her to stumble into the hall before she forced herself to stand up straight, unwilling to let the Geonosians know they were irritating her. But all her emotions soon faced when she made eye contact with Obi-Wan.

The two of them just stared at each other for a moment as the Geonosians locked their chains together. Not even a second after that passed when the Jedi were being escorted through the halls. Despite keeping a blank look on her face, Aurora was terrified. She had no idea where they were being taken, but she knew it wasn't good. But it wasn't long before she was snapped out of her thoughts when Obi-Wan began speaking.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" the Kenobi man asked, drawing Aurora's attention to him. Even though she was doing a great job at hiding her emotions, much better than usual, Obi-Wan saw straight through her walls. He could see the panic she held in her eyes and the fear for their well-being. "We're going to get out of this, Aurora. I've already sent a message to the Jedi Council. They will come for us."

"And I have full faith in them," the Jinn woman responded before she hesitated. She wanted to take a moment to gather her emotions, but she couldn't hide the shakiness of her voice. "But what are the chances they won't be here in time?"

The only response Aurora received was silence from the Jedi Knight. Neither of them said another word throughout the rest of their time in the halls. They continued to walk silently through what seemed to be a never-ending tunnel before a small hint of natural light was seen at the end. It wasn't long after that when they were forced into a cart pulled by a beast Aurora had never seen before. Their arms were chained to the bar in front of them before their guards moved to stand beside the cart. Although she had a million thoughts bouncing around in her head, the Jinn woman kept her mouth sealed shut as the cart began moving forward.

Cheering instantly greeted Aurora's ears as they were pulled out into the area. Shock coursed through her veins when she saw the thousands of Geonosians surrounding them. They were all jumping up and down in a celebratory manner, sending chills throughout the Jinn woman's entire body. She wanted to be surprised by how many were excited about their demise, but she wasn't. They were Jedi after all. And Jedi were known to have their enemies.

It wasn't long before their cart stopped in front of four large stone poles. The Geonosian guards unlocked Obi-Wan's chains first before escorting him to one of the poles. They then turned the Kenobi man so his back was against the pole before forcing his arms up. Once they secured his cuffs to the pole's chain, they made their way back to the cart to get Aurora. The Jinn woman was surprised that they didn't take her to the pole next to Obi-Wan, but the farthest one away from him instead. It was as if they were afraid the Jedi would hatch an escape plan if they were near each other.

The spectator's cheers soon grew louder, making Aurora think that their event was about to begin. But she was far from wrong. Instead, another cart came out from one of the tunnels and approached the poles. Confusion mixed with Aurora's fear as she looked over at Obi-Wan, who seemed just as lost as she was. It wasn't long after that when the Jinn woman turned her attention back to the approaching cart, only for her to wish she hadn't. Aurora's breath got caught in her throat and her blood ran cold after she made eye contact with Padmé. She just stared at the Amidala girl until her eyes moved to Anakin, who had a guilty look written all over his face. She couldn't believe the Skywalker boy would risk the Senator's safety by bringing her to Geonosis. And by the annoyed look Obi-Wan was displaying, she knew he was thinking the same thing.

It wasn't long before Anakin was chained to the pole next to Obi-Wan and Padmé next to Aurora. The Jinn woman waited until the Geonosian walked away before looking over at her friend. "What do you think you're doing here, Padmé?"

"We came to rescue you," the Amidala girl responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Aurora just stared at her longest friend for a moment before sighing and resting her head against the pole. "You're doing a fantastic job."

Not even a second after that passed when a loud voice speaking a language that Aurora had never heard before cut through the air. That was all it took for the crowd to grow silent and turn their attention toward the balcony. When the Jinn woman followed their gaze, she found who she assumed to be the Geonosian leader standing beside Count Dooku and Viceroy Gunray. Aurora kept her eyes glued to the former Jedi Master as the Geonosian leader spoke to his people in his native tongue. It wasn't long after that when cheering erupted from the crowd again, followed by a loud screeching in the distance.

When she turned toward the new sound, Aurora saw four iron gates opening on the other side of the arena. Her blood ran cold as she watched four creatures make their way into the light. She had never seen three of them before, but one of them was far too familiar to her. The Jinn woman was only seven the last time she saw a tusk cat. She was playing out in the forest with her parents when they got too close to their territory. Aurora didn't remember much about what happened next, but the scar on her back was enough to tell her it wasn't good. Chills ran throughout her entire body when the tusk cat let out a low growl as it approached her.

Her eyes stayed glued to the Naboo creature approaching her until her attention was drawn to Padmé, who quietly called out to her. Aurora was shocked to find her friend free of her cuffs and climb to the top of the pole using the chain. But unlike her friend, her cuffs were welded shut. And even if they weren't, the Jinn woman didn't have time to follow the Senator's lead. The tusk cat began to slowly circle the pole she was tied to, growing while keeping its eyes glued to her. Aurora swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched the beast, unsure of how to get out of her current situation. That was until she realized that the tusk cast wasn't angry or looking to attack, it was just scared. Only a second after that passed when she remembered one of the lessons Yoda had taught her. She just hoped it would help her.

A long sigh passed over Aurora's lips as she closed her eyes. She did her best to relax as she reached out to the tusk cat. She wanted it to know that she meant no harm. The Jinn woman just hoped that her tactics would actually work. The growling grew louder and louder, making Aurora think all her effort was in vain. But it wasn't long before the growling stopped altogether. A shaky breath passed over Aurora's lips as she slowly opened her eyes, only to find the tusk cat staring back at her in curiosity.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the Jinn woman said despite knowing the tusk cat wouldn't respond. But to her surprise, the creature seemed to visibly relax. Aurora's attention soon fell on the nexu circling the pole Padmé was sitting on, waiting for the right time to strike. It wasn't long after that when an idea popped into the Padawan's head, causing her eyes to fall back on the tusk cat. "Do you think you could take care of that for me?"

Despite knowing she had connected with the tusk cat, Aurora was still surprised when it sprinted at the nexu. The tusk cat slammed into its opponent's side, knocking it to the ground. It wasn't long before the nexu got up from the ground and prepared to attack the tusk cat. But before it had a chance to punch, Anakin came riding in on the reek and collided with the nexu. The Jinn woman just stared at the creature's unmoving body before she watched Padmé jump down from the pole. Aurora was shocked to see the Amidala girl place a kiss on Anakin's cheek, but she quickly shook it off. She needed to focus on getting herself freed instead.

It wasn't long before Anakin stopped the reek in front of her. "Wrap your chain around its horn. I'll have it pull until it breaks."

A skeptical look soon formed on Aurora's face in response to the Skywalker boy's words. "Do you really think that'll work?"

"It's worth a shot."

Aurora just stared at the Skywalker boy for a long moment before letting out a long sigh, knowing they didn't have any other options. She quickly followed his plan and wrapped as much of her chain around the reek's horn as she could. Once she was happy with her work, the Jinn woman looked up at the Padawan and sent him a small nod. That was all it took for Anakin to pull back on his own chains, causing the reek to move backward. To Aurora's surprise, it only took a few seconds for the chain to snap in two. She just stared at the broken end of the chain still attached to her cuffs before looking up at Anakin, who was staring down at her with shock in her eyes. But before either of them could comment, screeching caught their attention.

The Jinn woman's blood ran cold when she saw Obi-Wan rolling around in the dirt to avoid being crushed by the acklay's claws. Her instincts took over before she could even think as Aurora called over the tusk cat. After it allowed her to get on its back, she rode as fast as she could toward the Kenobi man. It wasn't long before he spotted her, causing him to run toward her. As soon as he was close enough, Aurora grabbed Obi-Wan's hand and pulled him onto the tusk cat. The acklay screeched and swung at them, but the tusk cat was too fast and got them out of danger. But as soon as they made it back to Anakin and Padmé they were surrounded by destroyers.

The hope of escaping soon faded as Aurora looked up at where Count Dooku stood, only for her eyes to long on a purple lightsaber being held at Jango Fett's neck. It wasn't long after that when dozens of lightsabers appeared in the stands surrounding them, making the Geonosians scatter. A large smile soon formed on the Jinn woman's face as she watched the Jedi jump down into the arena to join them. It wasn't long after that when Aurora had the tusk cat take her and Obi-Wan toward their allies with Anakin and Padmé right behind her. While most of the Jedi ran into battle with the droids, three stayed behind to give Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Aurora extra lightsabers. The Skywalker boy was the first to cut through his chains before using his lightsaber to free Aurora and Obi-Wan.

They soon dismounted from the tusk cat and the reek and jumped into battle. But Aurora hesitated before turning her attention toward the tusk cat, who kept its eyes glued to her. "Thank you for your help. Now, go find a place to hide."

The tusk cat just stared at her for a moment before sprinting away from the battle. That was all it took for the Jinn woman to turn her attention back to the situation at hand. She ran at a group of droids and spun around in a circle, using her lightsaber to split them all in two. Aurora continued taking out the droids in her path until she found herself in the middle of the arena back-to-back with Obi-Wan. The two of them worked together to block the blaster beams coming at them, sending them back to the droids who sent them.

To their dismay, the droids were closing in on Aurora and Obi-Wan. They were surrounded as they continued to block their opponent's attacks. But just when they thought all was lost, the droid began to retreat. The Jinn woman instantly looked over at the man next to her for an explanation, only to find the Kenobi man staring back at her with confusion in his eyes. Not even a second after that passed when a growl cut through the air, causing all emotion to fade from Obi-Wan's face. When they looked in the direction of the sound, they found the acklay standing over them. The giant creature let out a screech while baring its teeth at them, making Aurora flinch away.

The Jinn woman kept her eyes glued to the acklay for a moment longer before her attention fell on Obi-Wan. She would be the first to admit that she was surprised to find him staring back at her with a determined look on his face. They seemed to have a silent conversation between themselves before the Kenobi man sent her a small nod. That was all it took for them to spring into action. The duo seemed to be in sync as they sprung forward and used their lightsabers to cut off the acklay's front legs. Aurora and Obi-Wan quickly jumped out of the way to avoid being crushed under the giant creature. When the Jinn woman turned around to continue the battle with the acklay, she found Obi-Wan using his lightsaber to pierce its back.

But they didn't have time to celebrate their victory due to the droids closing in on them. All of the Jedi along with Padmé ended up in a large circle to defend their allies from their opponents. They did their best to keep the droids from advancing, but the Jedi continued to fall. It wasn't long before the remaining dozen Jedi found themselves standing tightly together in the center of the Geonosian arena. The droids continued to close in on them, showing no signs of letting up any time soon. That was why everyone was surprised when they suddenly stopped and lowered their blasters.

"Master Windu, you have fought gallantly, worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order," Count Dooku called out, drawing everyone's attention toward him as he continued speaking. They just stared at him as more of the Jedi were escorted into the circle by Geonosians. "Now it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared."

"We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!" Mace exclaimed while Aurora tightened her grip around her lightsaber hilt.

"Then, I'm sorry, old friend," the former Jedi Master said before sending a signal to the droids.

Not even a second after that passed when their opponents raised their blasters. A wave of fear washed over Aurora as she looked around at the hundreds of droids surrounding them, only for her to quickly force the feeling away. She soon felt someone's arm brush against hers, causing her to look over to find Obi-Wan standing right beside her. He wasn't looking at her, instead his attention was on the droids surrounding him. But his determined expression was enough to somehow calm Aurora. It was as if he knew they were going to make it out in one piece. But she wasn't expecting what happened next.

"Look!" Padmé exclaimed, causing everyone to follow her gaze to the sky.

Shock flowed through Aurora's veins after spotting ally ships flying toward them. But what surprised her the most were the clones aboard them. They circled the arena before firing at the droids surrounding the Jedi and the Senator. It wasn't long after that when the ships got close enough to the ground for the clones to disembark. They made a perimeter around the survivors and began fighting against their robotic opponents. That gave Yoda's ship along with a few others a chance to land in the center of the arena. The Jedi didn't hesitate to board the ships, hoping to get away from Geonosis sooner rather than later.

Just as Aurora was about to follow Obi-Wan onto one of the ships, she heard a shout come from behind her. She instantly turned toward the source of the sound to find a clone lying in the dirt a few yards away with a hand on his side. But before the Jinn woman could even think about helping him, she felt two people grab her arms and pull her onto the ship. A wave of irritation washed over her as she looked up at Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"We can't just leave him to die after he saved our lives," the Jinn woman declared while gesturing to the clone.

"There's no time, Aurora. He knew what he was risking," Obi-Wan retaliated without loosening his grip on her arm, knowing she would do something drastic if given the opportunity.

Aurora soon turned her attention back to the clone, only to find a group of droids closing in on him. Her instincts took over before she could think as her hand shot out in front of her. The next thing anyone knew, the clone began moving toward the ship. But the Jinn woman knew that he wouldn't make it at the speed he was going. That was until she noticed the clone moving a bit faster, then even faster. Confusion began flowing through her veins until she realized that she wasn't the only one using the Force to save the injured clone. Beside her, Obi-Wan and Anakin were copying her actions and using the Force to bring the soldier to safety. As soon as he was close enough, the three Jedi grabbed his arms and pulled him onto the ship right as it began ascending.

A small sigh passed over Aurora's lips as they began flying away from the danger. But her relief soon faded when she heard a distant roar. When she looked toward the source of the sound, she found the tusk cat running toward the ship. The creature knocked down all the droids in its path before leaping into the air. The Jinn woman was surprised when the tusk cat landed perfectly on the empty platform of their ship. Everyone instantly raised their blasters and aimed their lightsabers at the creature, only for Aurora to step in front of the tusk cat.

"Relax," the brunette woman said while holding her hands out in front of her, "it just wants a ride home."

"You really do surprise me sometimes," Obi-Wan announced while everyone lowered their blasters and lightsabers. He just stared at the tusk cat for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Just make sure it stays in the back."

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