Live or Die
Allie Helms
Chapter One
Consequences
I've only got five words for God: You'll never take me alive!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .
War! The Republic is crumbling under attacks by the ruthless Sith Lord, Count Dooku. There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere.
In a stunning move, the fiendish droid leader, General Grievous, has swept into the Republic capital and kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine, leader of the Galactic Senate, and Lady Jedi Master November Rose Lee Skywalker, leader of the Republican special forces . . .
As the Separatist Droid Army attempts to flee the besieged capital with their valuable hostages, two Jedi Knights lead a desperate mission to rescue the captive Chancellor and fellow Jedi Knight . . .
There I sat in a room on General Grievous control ship with Chancellor Palpatine. His quick but constant gazes crawling through my skin, and surrounding my thoughts with anger. My peaceful but ever steady eyes were looking out across space at the battle-taking place. Two Jedi Cruisers zoomed pass the window and I felt Anakin's never ending loving aura surround me. He was on his way, he was going to take me away from the traitor I was sharing a room and capture with.
"You would make a fine, and powerful Sith," Palpatine said looking at me again.
I didn't turn to look at him, and I covered my thoughts, "As well as that sounds I like being a Jedi better. You know I have the cool lightsabers, awesome spot on the Council, and my husband.
"Not for long," he said under his breath.
I snapped my head towards him, "What?"
"I said not for long," he said smiling one of those evil delicate smiles he had.
I couldn't stand him for long. I hope Anakin comes soon, I thought.
"You would be easy to turn to the Dark Side. I mean with your past. What did you say just before your mother died?" He asked.
He was pushing all the right buttons, "Shut up!"
"Oh! That's right. I hate you," he said smiling again.
I looked over to him, "If you know what's good for you Sidious I would watch your tongue."
"You're just all talk Jedi scum," he said.
I looked over to him, "And I don't think so. I don't want any power, and if I did have power I would use it for good not evil."
Just then the door burst open and Anakin and Obi-wan walked through the door. "Well hello prince charming," I said greeting Anakin.
He laughed, "Ah a damsel in distress. May I be of service?"
"Yes, did you bring my back ups?" I asked.
He held out two lightsabers in my hands, "Right here like you asked love."
"Good. Now . . . um . . . Anakin," I said nodding my head to my restraints.
"Oh yeah!" he said shutting off the vibrant purple handcuffs.
"Thanks poppit," I said. I took the two lightsabers and clipped them to my belt of my black and white jumpsuit.
"Chancellor Palpatine are you alright?" Obi-wan asked.
Palpatine put on a scared look and mumbles a couple words, "Count Dooku."
Just then I looked up to the elevator doors, and saw Count Dooku standing in front of them. The two men reached for their swords, but I put my hand up, "This is personal."
"November, don't get overwhelmed," Obi-wan said cautioning me.
I turned to him and put a small smile on my face, "Oh but Master Kenobi I am me. What do expect? Yoda." I laugh a little. "Ah Dooku we meet again."
"What! She can't take on a Sith Lord," Palpatine said looking worried.
I turned and glared at him. "Chancellor Palpatine, Sith Lords are her specialty," Obi-wan said smiling.
I turned to Anakin, "I'm going in. Don't try to help unless I ask." He nodded.
Dooku jumped down to the main level, and looked at me, "I've been looking forward to this."
"My power has increased since the last time we had this little conversation, Dooku," I said reaching for my lightsabers, and igniting them.
He smiled igniting his own blood red sword, "Good. Twice the pride, double the fall . . ."
"Much arrogance you have Count Dooku, but you're missing one thing: self-confidence," I lunged forward, and our lightsabers met. We danced in a duel of dark and light sides. Dooku's face growing angrier as we did. He was older, and weaker. His knowledge of the force dwindled since the last time. I force pushed him back upon the steps, but he got up before I could bring my lightsabers upon his body. Our intricate step and dance paused as we circled each other.
"I sense fear in you, November. You have hate, you have anger, and you use them. Pity you're not a Sith," Dooku said as we did.
A sly smile slipped across my face, "Yes, but unlike your anger I can control mine. It's somewhat a law of balance inside me. It helps me see that Sith like you are weak and have no true knowledge of the force, as I do."
"And how did you receive a knowledge so keen," he asked.
I lunged forward and he blocked my attack, "I have lived a life of true darkness." He hissed and pushed me off. He was caught off guard by my remark and I quickly cut his lightsaber in half. He fell to his knees and I put my lightsabers in a shape of an 'x' across his thick neck. "This is where you ask God for forgiveness," I said.
"You don't have the guts," he said.
I moved the lightsabers closer, "Say that again."
He gulped, "You don't have the guts." I moved my lightsabers and his head fell to the floor.
I looked over to Palpatine, "I guess I'm not all talk after all."
"Rose, you shouldn't have done that it's not the Jedi way," Anakin said
I laughed, "Anakin, since when have I ever done anything the Jedi way?" He gave me a hard look of unhappiness. "Plus he was a traitor to the Jedi Council, a leader of the enemy, and not to mention very annoying. I had to kill him," I said walking up the stairs to the door.
"That is so true," Obi-wan said.
Anakin un-cuffed the Chancellor, and came up and stood beside me, "But still."
"Don't worry, Anakin. I know what I'm doing," I said. The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. "So, how is Artoo doing?" I asked.
"Well, Artoo has been . . ." Obi-wan began.
Anakin looked sternly at him, "No loose wire jokes . . . He's doing the best he can."
Obi-wan looked at me. "Did I say anything?" he asked.
I shook my head. "He's trying!" Anakin protested.
"I didn't say anything," Obi-wan said.
I chuckled. "What?" they asked in unison.
"You two fight like an old married couple," I said. They just looked at each other and shrugged.
The elevator stopped, and opened up. We ran down the hallway to the second elevator. Anakin started to push the button, but the elevator didn't do anything. "The elevator's not working," Anakin said.
"Honey?" I said.
He turned around, "Yes."
"Thank you for stating the obvious," I said touching his cheek.
He turned back around, "Yes, now." He took his comlink, "Artoo?' I heard small beeps and whistles coming from the other end. "Activate elevator 3224." Just then the ship started to shift, and the elevator doors opened. We all jumped up to the doorway of the elevator shaft. "Artoo . . . do you copy? Artoo come in!"
"I guess we'll just have to run down it then," I started to run like the elevator shaft was a long hallway. I stopped and looked at them, "Oh come one its not that bad." I started to run again, but this time instead of just hearing my feet on the metallic floor I heard Obi-wan, Anakin and Palpatine's too.
Anakin came running beside me, "I didn't know you could run so fast.
"I can't I just feel like running right now, " I laughed, and he joined in.
A few moments later the ship shifted again, and we started to slide. Anakin quickly caught some wires that were sticking out randomly in the shaft. I quickly grabbed onto his shoulders, and Obi-wan grabbed my legs as Palpatine grabbed onto his.
We heard a noise from above, and we looked up to see the elevator had been reactivated. "I need a vacation," Obi-wan said.
"Artoo, Artoo! Shut down the elevator!" Anakin yelled into the comlink.
I kissed Anakin's cheek, "Too late! Jump!"
We all jumped in unison. Just then the ship shifted again, and we hit the side of the shaft, and started to slide. "This is so much fun," I said sliding.
"You're kidding?" asked Obi-wan.
"Nope," I said shortly. He didn't say anything else.
The ship shifted again, and we were back to falling. "I so hope that this hunk of friggin junk finds which way it wants to shift cause I am getting so tired of this," I said.
"Grappling hooks," Anakin said throwing his grappling hook against the wall. Obi-wan and I followed suit, and Palpatine quickly grabbed onto Obi-wan. All the elevator doors opened and we swung through one to solid ground.
"Solid ground, I love you," I said jumping up and down.
Obi-wan looked at me, "Okay lover girl lets get going. There has to be someway out of this piece of metal."
We all started to run down the hallway, but stopped by the ray shields. "Ray shields," Anakin said.
I looked at him, "Again with stating the obvious."
"Wait a minute, how'd this happen? We're smarter than this!" Obi-wan said out raged.
Anakin turned towards him, "Apparently not, master. This is the oldest trap in the book . . . Well . . . I was distracted"
"So was I," Obi-wan said folding his arms.
They both looked at me, "Oh so all of the sudden it's my fault. Obi-wan you're the master, we're just heroes."
"I'm open for suggestions," Obi-wan said.
Why don't we let them take us to General Grievous? Perhaps with Count Dooku's demise, we can negotiate our release," Palpatine asked.
We looked at each other and laughed. "I say patience," Anakin said.
"Anakin I know I told you patience is rewarded, but right now it's not," I said.
Obi-wan looked at him, "Patience is that your plan is it?"
"Yes, Artoo will be along in a few moments and he'll release the ray shields . . ." Anakin said.
And as if right on cue Artoo came skidding across the floor, and smashed right into the wall. "See no problem!" Anakin said.
Suddenly several destroyer droids appeared, surrounding us, and taking us as prisoner.
"Don't move, dummy," one of the droids said to Artoo, but Artoo didn't listen, and he zapped him. "Ouch! Zap this," the droid said kicking Artoo over.
"Have a plan B?" Obi-wan asked.
We were taken hostage, and lead up to the control room. As we entered I just had to open my mouth, "Wow now pile of junk you got here."
"Shut up," the guard said pushing me. I glared back at him.
They then lined us up in front of General Grievous. His mechanical face screwed in disgust as he looked upon us. He had a hacking cough, and his alien eyes showed much hate for the republic. I reached into his mind with the force, and found all the hate he consumed blocked like a bad artery about to cause a heart attack. "Oh yes. General Kenobi, the Negotiator. We've been waiting for you. That wasn't much of a rescue," the mechanical voice of Grievous was cold and discerning as it addressed Obi-wan.
Obi-wan stuck his chin out with pride, "That depends on your point of view. Ha!"
I shook my head. "And Anakin Skywalker . . . I was expecting someone with your reputation to be a little older," he said moving to Anakin, and he was hacking wildly.
"No Grievous do you have cold, or is it just tuberculosis?" I said.
That got his attention. "Oh and the one I've been waiting to meet. Lady Master Jedi November Rose Lee Skywalker, aren't you the one with the troubled past. You know the one where you killed a man, and then you tried to commit suicide?" he asked. His cold steely voice rattling my bones.
"I would love to stay and continue this battle of wits with you, but you are obviously unarmed," I said getting into his face, or at least as far as I could reach.
"Jedi scum!" he said turning around then back around again.
Obi-wan looked down the line at me, "November, try not to upset him. He has a stressful job to do."
"Sorry," I said.
Just then a guard carrying our lightsabers stepped in front of Grievous and handed them over. "Your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection. Especially the two infamous lightsabers of Lady Jedi November," he said having a grin behind his mask.
"Bite me!" I said.
Obi-wan got serious, "Not this time, and this time you won't escape."
"Artoo!" Anakin said. Artoo extended all his bells and whistles just to make a distraction. He was a trooper. I turned around, and Anakin cut my restraints. I used the force to bring my lightsabers to me, and I ignited them and held them in a 'x' above my head.
"Guess who is going down?" I asked. "It's Sith kabob time!" Anakin smiled.
General Grievous two bodyguards came after me, and attacked we with electro staffs. "Rule number ninety-six," I said. "A hero is only good as his weapon, and yours is not good." I slashed quickly at one of them, and he fell to floor with a clang of his metal body. I came back to back with Obi-wan. "So, we are the best fighting pair in the galaxy right?" I asked him.
"Yup," he said. "Why do you ask?'
I extinguished my lightsabers, and he followed suit. Our attackers looked confused. I held him by the collar. "You go that way, and I'll go this way," I said movie my head in the directions.
"You go that way and I go this way?" he asked.
I nodded, "Yes." He nodded. We split apart and took on each other's attackers. We did a number of martial art moves, and ended up facing each other. We did a secret handshake. "Yup! Still the best fighting team in the galaxy," I said as he knocked hips.
Within a matter of minutes Anakin, Obi-wan and I have finished cutting down the droids, and now we were taking on Grievous. "You lose General Kenobi," he said.
Just then one of the pilots called down to his commander, "This is breaking up!"
"We've run out of time!" he responded. Just then he hit the window with the electro staff he had been holding, and we all grabbed onto the control panels. General Grievous slipped out of the window along with everything else not nailed down, and a shield came across the window trapping us in.
Anakin quickly made it to the navigator's chair. "All the escape pods have been launched,' h said.
"Grievous. Can you fly a cruiser like this?" I asked.
He looked at me, "You mean, do I know how to land what is left of this thing?"
"Well, yes of course," Obi-wan said.
Anakin moved to a different chair, and the ship jolted forward. "Is it bad doctor?" I asked.
"Under the circumstances, I'd stay the ability to pilot this thing is irrelevant. Strap yourselves in," he said making his diagnosis. I moved to a chair right beside Anakin. I had never flown anything before except a speeder, but that's it so I just sat, and waited for orders. "Grab that keep us level," Anakin said to me. I quickly grabbed a lever, and did what he told me.
We then heard something break off of the ship. "We lost something," Anakin said again stating the obvious. I mean I loved my husband dearly, but he had got to stop doing that.
"Not to worry, we're still flying half a ship," Obi-wan reminded us. A couple minutes passed, and we entered the atmosphere of Courscant. We were on fire, when Obi-wan spoke, "Landing strip straight ahead."
"We're coming in too hot," Anakin said still concentrating on the switches and things.
I looked around, "Is that bad?" They just ignored me.
We then crashed into the landing platform, and Obi-wan just had to say something, "Another happy landing."
"Yeah right!" I snapped. That scared me half to death.
We took a Jedi shuttle to the Senate building. Anakin, Palpatine, and I stepped out of the shuttle, but Obi-wan did not. "Are you coming Obi-wan?' I asked.
"Oh no. I'm not brave enough for politics. I have to report to the Council. Besides, someone needs to be the poster boy and girl," he said smiling.
Anakin pointed a finger at him, "Hold on, this whole operation was your idea. You planned it. You led the rescue operation. You have to be the one to take the bows this time."
"Sorry, old friends. Let us not forget that November rescued me from the Buzz droids, and killed Count Dooku. And you rescued the Chancellor, and you managed to land that bucket of bolts safely," he said pointing this out.
I looked at him in disbelief, "You call that safely?'
"Hey!" Anakin said elbowing me.
"Sorry sweetie," I said smiling innocently.
"All because of your training master. You deserve al those speeches of your greatness," Anakin said looking up at him.
Obi-wan chuckled, "The endless speeches . . . Anakin, let's be fair. Today you two are the heroes, and you two deserve your glorious day with the politicians."
"All right," I began. "But you owe us . . . And not for saving your skin for the tenth time . . ."
"Ninth time . . . that business on Cato Nemoidia doesn't count. I'll see you two after the briefing," Obi-wan said bowing to us, and then turning back into the shuttle.
We talked with the politicians for a minute or two before going into the briefing. As we were walking in I looked at Anakin, "I think we did pretty good this time. Don't you agree?'
"I do," he said grabbing my hand that was hanging down by my side. He then turned to me and I to him.
"I think now I need a vacation," I said.
He looked into my eyes and smiled, "Me too!"
"Hmm. How about in our apartment?" I asked.
His eyes grew brighter, "Under the covers?"
"In between the sheets," I continued.
He laughed, "Or in the shower."
My eyes widened, and he chuckled. He then bent down to kiss me not knowing that in the shadow of the column an old friend stood watching with bright eyes, and a smiled upon her lips.
A/N: The part where November and Obi-wan fight together is from Rush Hour 2. I don't know if you've ever seen it but it is funny cause they do this fight scene where they split up just like that. Anyway I welcome you back into the mind of Lady Jedi Master November. Yay!