Okay…Disclaimer Time…this is my first Fanfic, so please bear with me. As we all know, George Lucas is Da Man, and he owns everything in the story except the Piper and John, so mucho props to my man Lucas. "Hey George-you getting around to that DVD stuff yet?"
Rating: "R" for cussin' and scary stuff…John finds himself feelin' Minnesota
Read the first three parts first…
A Small Navigational Error…Part 4.
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Copper. Tastes like copper…
Through the haze and darkness that his brain was in, John tasted copper. He pondered this until he realized that he was tasting blood in his mouth. Then the pain of his injuries slowly started to return.
Damn, that hurts. What happened to me?
He slowly opened his eyes, and tried to focus. Where am I?He found himself lying across parts of various droids that had been destroyed in the battle that had taken place in the hangar. The pain that had been a deep, dull throb reasserted itself with a vengeance. John let out a gasp of pain and started to sit up.
Ow…FUCK! …that hurts. What's the deal with my arm?
He looked down at his right arm. Oh, God…His right arm was burned and covered in blood and he could see the bones in his forearm had punctured the blackened and bloody flesh. My elbow's not supposed to have two joints…
John managed to get to his knees, and he thought the effort would kill him. His breathing came in ragged gasps, and he looked around the hangar. He didn't see anyone. Where was the Queen and her troops? The two Jedi?
"Hello?" John seemed to whisper.
"Hello?" He felt like he was screaming, but all he heard come out of his mouth was a hoarse whisper. His stomach, which had been trying to remain calm since he had regained consciousness, revolted at John's effort to call out for help.
John fell forward, pitching his left arm out, and threw up violently, trying not to let his strength give out. His stomach finally settled, and he stopped heaving. I can't faint…I can't…
John felt his mind start to race again. How badly am I injured? Can this be fixed? Oh…God, what if I have internal bleeding…No. I am not going to panic…I'm not… He remembered the feeling of calm and peace that Qui-gon had sent to him-it helped him to center his thoughts and keep a clear head. John commanded his breathing to slow down, and let his mind relax.
*****
The battle was not going well. The droidekas had broken any cohesiveness the Gungan ranks had held, and Jar-Jar was running. There! He tried to take cover under a cart that held some boomas…
*****
BOOM!
On one the upper levels of the palace, a window exploded inward, and Amidala, Panaka and her troops climbed through. Covering all sides of the hallway, they advanced down the hall, the throne room as their ultimate goal.
*****
The crash and hum of the lightsabers was growing more intense as the three combatants settled themselves in for a prolonged battle. The dark warrior had drawn the two Jedi into the main reactor complex under the palace. Qui-gon thought he felt the flicker that had been John's force imprint grow stronger, but he dared not break his concentration. All three warriors were in the battle of their lives, and each was determined to emerge the victor.
*****
"I'm trying to stop! I'm trying to stop!" Anakin called back to R2 as he wrestled with the controls of the Naboo fighter that was skidding through the bay of the droid control ship. He wondered how much trouble he was going to get in.
*****
John found himself wandering down a hall in the palace. The sense of calm he had achieved somehow was still with him, and with it came a heightened awareness. He had slowly gotten to his feet and found a strap off of one of the other palace guards that had fallen in the hanger. Strapping around his shoulder, he made a makeshift sling for his decimated right arm. On his way out of the hangar, he picked up another destroyed droid's blaster rifle.
Holding the blaster rifle like an oversized pistol, he made his way down hallways, turning randomly, looking for his new friends. God, I hope they're okay…
*****
Above, Amidala and her troops found themselves surrounded by two, then four droidekas at the intersection of two hallways in the palace. "Put down your weapons," the Queen said. "They win this round." She had no intention of letting them win the war.
*****
John found himself going down a long sloped ramp. The change in the hallways told him he had left the living areas of the palace and was heading into the service section below the palace. Well, a throne room's usually near the top, right? I need to find an elevator, or something to get me on a higher floor…
He emerged from the corridor and looked around. A large circular room with a pit in the floor. Where's the way out? Oh… He noticed another hallway and started toward it.
Damn!
He was less than ten feet from the hallway when he saw that it had a reddish force field of some type. He knew that he wasn't getting out that way, and was about to turn around when he saw that the wall of red light disappeared. Before he could react, the dark warrior and Qui-gon came clashing out of the entrance, their lightsabers swinging furiously.
*****
As soon as the lasers cycled Qui-gon was upon the dark Lord in an instant, driving him back into the room beyond with lightning quick blows with his lighsaber. As they entered the room, he noticed John…and immediately broke off the attack and stepped back, out of the Sith Lord's reach.
The Sith stopped, too. He looked at this interloper-he appeared to be in bad shape. His face was bloody, and he had strapped his arm to his side. In his other hand, he raised up a blaster rifle.
*****
John raised the blaster rifle with his good arm and tried not to let it shake too much as he pointed it at the warrior in black.
"…'Night, asshole." John muttered as he pulled the trigger.
The Sith effortlessly turned his body and the blaster's bolt missed his torso by inches. Instantaneously, he thrust his arm out at the older Jedi. Qui-gon reacted as if he had been punched and flew back into the hallway they had come out of. As he skidded to a stop, the laser wall finished recycling itself and reactivated.
John turned his eyes back on the tattooed madman. Oh, shit.
The dark warrior turned to face the stranger who would soon learn the power of a Sith Lord.
*****
"Your little insurrection is at an end, your highness." The Nemoidian Viceroy approached the Queen as she was led into the throne room. "Time for you to sign the treaty…and end to this pointless debate in the senate."
*****
John backed up, away from the Sith Lord who was eyeing him as an easy kill. This bastard's gonna kill me quick… But his hand tightened on the blaster rifle. He did not intend to be die without a fight.
The Sith worked his way back over to the other side of the pit and paused. He had plenty of time before the lasers recycled again, and the loss of this interloper would only serve to distract his Jedi opponents. A small, feral grin played across his features. All too easy…
*****
"Master…we must help him. He's certain to die…" Obi-Wan said through clenched teeth. He had caught up to his Master as he slid back between the laser walls.
"I know, Padawan. We will…" Qui-gon looked at amazement at his new friend. His force imprint had reappeared and was radiating strength, even if his body was on the verge of collapse. Keep your mind focused and prepare yourself…
*****
Holy shit…
John watched as the dark warrior vaulted the pit, his double-bladed lightsaber twirling. John turned sideways, raised his blaster and blindly fired two shots at the descending figure. The Sith Lord landed, turning, swiping his lightsaber across John's midsection, just as the laser walls deactivated again and began their recycling process.He felt the fire as it burned across the left side of his abdomen. He was surprised to see that the Sith Lord did not make the killing blow. Do it quick, you bastard.
The Sith looked down at his own midsection, and saw a dark burn mark, barely noticeable against his black clothing. The second shot had found its mark. He looked up at this interloper, his rage reaching its zenith.
John tried to keep his blaster rifle level, but his entire body was finally starting to collapse. His hand lowered, and his grip slackened. He didn't even hear the clatter of the blaster hitting the floor. God, I'm so tired…and… …and… His intestines felt as if he had chugged a pint of gasoline and chased it with a lit match. He felt himself being slowly pulled down…and he saw the Sith's eyes burn with hatred as he raised his saber to finally strike.
*****
" I will not be signing any treaty, Viceroy, because you've lost!" A new voice came from outside the throne room. The Nemoidains looked beyond the now-plainclothes queen to see…the Queen? But how…
Blaster fire erupted from the hallway, and the Viceroy found himself sending droids after the queen. "After her!" He yelled in his halting voice. "This one's a decoy." He turned to the handmaiden who he had thought was Queen Amidala. "Your Queen will not get away with this."
He turned as she slumped down in the throne-and was surprised when she moved, lightning quick, revealing two blaster pistols, tossing one to her Captain, and dispatching the remaining few droids still in the throne room. She turned, as Panaka shouted a command to his men to seal the only doors into the throne room. The Nemoidian now found himself on the receiving end of a cold gaze from the girl who really was the queen, after all.
Her voice was low and carried power behind it. "Now, Viceroy. We will discuss a new treaty."
*****
The hum of the laser wall diminished, and the red barrier disappeared. Instantly, the two Jedi sprinted towards the far side of the pit as the Sith Lord raised his lightsaber to finish off their compatriot. Obi-wan leaped the last ten feet, determined to stop him. As he leaped, he could feel John's strength finally start to give out. He landed, and swung his lightsaber across the Sith's midsection.
John saw a blur behind the Sith as he was starting to swing downwards, and then a brilliant blue arc passed through his attacker's lower torso. The Dark Lord's eyes changed again, from pure hatred to one of utter surprise. Both figures slowly slumped to the floor, but the Sith's body cleaved into two pieces as he fell.
*****
"Now this is podracing!" Anakin had the fighter's throttle firewalled as he blew out of the hangar bay door of the Federation battleship. He didn't think those two torpedoes he'd fired back there would do that much damage. But things started exploding, and he decided that he needed to get out of there. As he cleared the battleship, he felt a concussion wave rock his fighter slightly as the battleship exploded, and he let out a whoop of triumph. Boy, Qui-gon was going to be proud of him!
*****
Obi-wan extinguished his blade and moved over to the figure lying on the floor. "Don't move, John." The man looked at him, and started coughing up blood. Qui-gon knelt beside him and put a hand on his chest, his tones quiet. "Rest now, my friend. You fought bravely. Save your strength."
"Ha…haven…haven't…got…an-any left…" John's voice was weak, and his teeth were chattering from his body finally giving out and going into shock. His earlier impact against the column had broken or cracked almost all of his ribs, and his right lung was starting to collapse. The Sith's lightsaber had not run him through, but had carved a hole in his left side, and he was hemorrhaging internally. "Ah…I'm...a…m-mess…" he stuttered.
Qui-gon looked down at the man. His whole body was starting to shudder, and he looked like he had been burned badly on his right side-his right arm was a mass of charred and bloody muscle. Qui-gon reached out to his friend with the force and found that John's unintentional and tenuous hold on the force for strength was rapidly starting to weaken-his body and mind were simply exhausted. Qui-gon looked at Obi-wan. They both knew that their new friend would die if his hold on the force slipped away completely.
"Cuh…c-cold…in h-here…" John started coughing again, his breathing fast and ragged. Qui-gon put his hand over John's forehead and started aligning his fingers on his forehead, temples and cheeks. Obi-wan reached out and put his hand on his Master's shoulder. Together, they both closed their eyes, and began to calm and stabilize John's injuries. They hoped they were not too late to save their new friend.
God, it's cold…so…cold.
John felt Qui-gon's presence in his mind and he took comfort in the fact that the Jedi was trying to help him. He felt a new presence, and recognized it as Obi-wan. They were both trying to help. John…focus on me…He heard Qui-gon's voice in his head…focus on my voice…rest now, my friend…the battle's won, and you fought bravely…sleep… A feeling of being wrapped in a warm blanket enveloped him.His eyes closed and he knew nothing. The two Jedi were still deep in concentration, trying to mend their friend's battered body and mind two hours later when a search party led by Panaka found them.
*****
Anakin climbed out of his fighter after the autopilot guided it back to the hangar with the other fighters that had survived the battle with the Trade Federation's battleship. The veteran pilots were all dumbfounded that the pilot who had single-handedly blown a Battleship to hell was a boy-all except for Ric Olie. He walked over to Anakin, and patted him on his shoulder. Anakin, looked up, a mixture of pride and elation mixed with a bit of fear. Was he in trouble? He'd done exactly what Qui-gon told him to do…
Ric smiled broadly at the boy and hoisted him up on his shoulders, where Anakin and Ric led the pilots out of the hanger and into the palace beyond, cheering and whooping with joy.
*****
Captain Tarpals and Jar-Jar thanked the Gods that the Naboo had managed to disable the droid army for them. They had, Jar-Jar was sure, spared him from a certain death. Tarpals asked Jar-Jar what they should do now-after all, he was a bombad General. Jar-Jar thought about this.
"Weesa go to da Naboo," Jar-Jar said. "Deysa helpen us, now weesa go helpen dem crunch da mekaneeks."
The word was passed through the Gungan ranks, and soon, what able-bodied members of the Gungan army were left started towards Theed to see if they could aid their new allies.
*****
"I had thought he was dead," Panaka said quietly to Qui-gon, looking down at John. "I didn't think he'd survived that explosion." He picked up his commlink. "Where are those medics? I want them down here immediately." The tone in his voice indicated he was ready to bust some heads if the medics didn't appear right then and there. His next transmission was to his Queen, informing her that their newest ally was indeed alive, but severely injured.
"I want him taken directly to the medical bay in my living wing." The Queen's words were all business, but the tone in her voice showed her relief. "I will have my doctors waiting, Captain." Panaka could hear the boy in the background, his voice full of worry about the two Jedi and John.
The medics arrived, and John was loaded onto a repulsor cart, with Obi-wan and Qui-gon walking beside him, slowly strengthening their injured friend's body enough to survive on its own.
*****
"They're okay, Ani." Padme turned to Anakin and hugged him. "Qui-gon's okay, Obi-wan's okay, and John is alive." Now that the stress of the battle was past, the Viceroy and his aides safely contained, her thoughts were on Anakin, and she had worried incessantly until she saw Ric Olie carry him in to the throne room, leading her pilots. He set Anakin down, and crouched down on one knee.
"My Queen," Olie bowed deeply, smiling. He gestured to Anakin, who had also kneeled. "May I present to you a Hero of the Battle of Theed. Young Anakin Skywalker was the pilot responsible for the destruction of the Trade Federation Battleship-single-handedly, I might add."
At this, the assembled guards and pilots erupted in a roar of cheering-and Padme walked over and hugged the boy.
*****
They made their way to the Queen's personal medical bay to check on another Hero of the Battle of Theed. Padme was explaining to Anakin what had transpired in the hangar, and Anakin's face betrayed his worry about his new friend's condition.
When they arrived at the medical bay, the doctors had John off of the repulsor cart and were furiously working on keeping him alive. Anakin and Padme watched as the physicians and nurses moved over his body, calling out diagnoses, and barking treatment plans. The two Jedi stood nearby, their eyes closed, reaching out through the force, trying to keep the man's injuries from overwhelming him. Their own faces remained calm and serene, betraying none of the fatigue they must have been feeling.
"Is he going to be okay?" Anakin was standing beside her, his voice on the verge of cracking.
"I hope so, Ani." The Queen looked down at Anakin, and then back at where the man was laying. "I hope so."
TO BE CONTINUED…