black swan | a. skywalker

( CHAPTER 12 )

"You have been charged and found guilty of Espionage," Padmé, Kyra, and Anakin were informed of their charges.

     "Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?" Poggle questioned the three.

     "You are committing an act of war, Archduke. I hope you are prepared for the consequences," Padmé added.

     Poggle laughed. Count Dooku simply smiled.

     "We build weapons, Senator. . . that is our business! Of course we're prepared!" Poggle replied.

     "Get on with it. Carry out the sentence. I want to see them suffer," Nute Gunray looked at the two sisters.

     "Your other Jedi friend is waiting for you, Senator, Knight Amidala. Take them to the arena! The Senator first," Poggle ordered, and Padmé was escorted out of the chamber by two guards.

     Four guards took hold of Kyra and Anakin. They were escorted out of the chamber, followed by the sounds of chuckling.

     In the gloomy tunnel, Anakin and Kyra were tossed into an open cart. Padme was in front, and before she knew it, Padme was brought out to a loud crowd where booing and yelling was filling their ears.

Anakin and Kyra were in the same cart next to each other.

     After a moment, the driver got up onto his seat.

     "Don't be afraid," Anakin looked down at Kyra.

     "I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life," Kyra confessed to him.

     "What are you talking about?" Anakin asked, confused by her words.

     "There's a good chance that we will die today, and I might as well just say it. I love you," Kyra breathed, feeling a weight rising off of her shoulders.

     "You love me? I thought we decided not to fall in love. That we would be forced to live a lie. That it would destroy our lives," Anakin repeated her words from that one night by the fire.

     "I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway. My love for you is a puzzle, Ani, for which I have no answers. I can't control it. . . and now I don't care. I truly, deeply love you, and before we die I want you to know," Kyra smiled.

     Kyra and Anakin kissed. It was short, yet it was sentimental all the same.

     "I have no desire to be cured of this love either. Long or short, I vow to spend the rest of my life with you," Anakin replied.

     They kissed again.

     The driver cracked his whip over the Orray harnessed between the shafts. The cart jerked forward. Suddenly, there was a huge roar and blinding sunlight as they emerged into the arena

     The great stadium was packed with tier upon tier of yelling geonosians. The cart trundles to the center, where Obi-Wan and Padmé were chained to two of four upright posts that were three feet in diameter. The cart stopped. Kyra and Anakin were taken down, dragged to posts, and chained to them. Kyra was in the center.