Chapter 12: Meeting a Sith
The Boonta Eve Classic.
Considered the largest annual podrace in the entire galaxy, the Classic was held once a year, on the planet Tatooine. The race course always began in the Mos Espa Grand Arena. It is hosted by the Hutts, to commemorate the Boonta's Eve holiday, which is one of three holidays established by the Hutts to commemorate victories against the Parliament of Moralan, which had encroached on Hutt territory for centuries before the Hutts drove them out in a three-day decisive victory, hence the celebration to commemorate the hero of the battles, Boonta the Hutt.
The Mos Espa Grand Arena is a vast amphitheater built into a canyonside on the Northern Dune Sea. Here, inside the enormous stadium, hundreds of thousands of spectators filled the stands, species of every kind coming together for one thing: Podracing.
Located in the upper levels, a commentator's box is built into the rock wall, hosting the long-time favored commentators Fodesinbeed Annodue, a two-headed Troig that would communicate in Basic and Huttese.
"...And that's absolutely right, a BIG turnout here, from all corners of the Outer Rim territories."
Below, the contestants are making their way out onto the starting grid.
On the left side of the tracks, across from the grandstands, a line of podracers emerge from the large hanger, surrounded by several crew members of each team. The pods are pulled by a wide variety of creatures, each led by teammates carrying flags that represent the individual racers. The pilots stand facing Jabba's private box, before bowing to the emerging figure of Jabba the Hutt, who receives loud shouts, cheers, and applause upon his entrance to his private viewing box.
Fodesinbeed continues his narration. "I see Ben Quadrinaros, from the Tund system, Aldar Beedo of Ploo 2, and the reigning champion, going in strong with 9 consecutive races, SEBULBA!"
Sebulba, who happens to be stationed near Anakin, stands and waves to his vast legion of fans while a small pep band play and the fans continue to cheer.
Waiting for the cheering to die down a bit, Fodesinbeed then continues. "...And in the front row, in the inside poll position, Mawhonic!"
Mawhonic of Hok bowed stiffly to the crowd.
"And a hearty hello to Clegg Holdfast, and his Voltic KV9T9-B Wasp."
With a overly dramatic flourish, Clegg bowed, before standing and stroking his chin.
"And back again, it's the mighty Dud Bolt, with his incredible racing machine, the Vulptereen 327."
Dud gave a rather simple wave to the crowd from his podracer.
"Hoping for a big win today, Ody Mandrell, with his record-setting pit droid team."
Ody waved heartily to the crowd, even as his droid crew fumbled around in front of his pod.
"And a late entry, young Anakin Skywalker, a local boy."
Anakin beams, before waving to the crowd.
Obi-Wan and Kitster attach the giant engines to Anakin's pod with several long cables. While this is going on, Shmi gives Anakin a big hug and a kiss.
"Be safe." She says.
"I will mom, I promise." She hurries away before the tears slip from her eyes.
Anakin checks the cable hitches, while off to the side, Revan is speaking with her husband.
"Where did he go?"
"Who, dear?" Naruto asks, entwining his fingers behind his head and gives her his most innocent look.
"My droid. You know, your new buddy. Where is HK?" Revan asked, doing her best to keep her temper.
"Oh…he's around." Naruto said.
Naruto smirks as Padme walks up and gives Anakin a peck on the cheek for good luck. "You think Ben's going to do something about that?" he asks, and Revan looks to see the Padawan watching. "Nope."
Her eyes land on the Dug, and she frowns, heading towards him as the Dug attempts to taunt Anakin.
She examines the engine. "Oh no, you don't." she mutters as she pulls out a tool and starts making repairs.
"What's wrong?"
Revan looks up to see Padme. "Thrice damned Dug just tried to sabotage Anakin's engines. It would've blow when put under extreme stress."
They heard a growl, and both women turned to see Naruto speaking into a comlink. They didn't hear what he said, but he slipped the communicator away after a moment, his blue eyes on the Dug as it moved away from Anakin. The Dug, seeing him, widened its' eyes.
"Hey shitstain." Naruto said. "Remember me?"
The Dug shuffled back a few feet, and as if sensing trouble, guards were making their way onto the field. Sebulba, feeling cocky, shoots him a grin, unaware of Revan's repairs.
Naruto keeps an eye on the Dug till it's back at its' pod.
Then he walks up, grabs Anakin by the back of his shirt, and lifts him into the racer. The boy's yelps are ignored and he starts to strap himself into the pod.
Revan walks up to the other side. "Are you all set?"
Anakin nods, and through the Force, the Jedi Master can feel the boys nausea.
"Remember what I told you. Concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts."
Anakin nods, and gives a shaky smile. "May the Force be with you." Revan says, patting his helmet-covered head as the boy slips on his goggles.
The Namikazes step back as Anakin flips several switches and powerful energy binders shoot from the engines, connecting them together and levitating the engines slightly off the ground. Anakin flips a switch and his engine starts, the incredible roar of the high-powered engine echoing throughout the arena as other drivers proceed to do the same.
Talking at the same time, Fodesinbeed declares Jabba's grandiose entrance, the whole crowd roaring as the Hutt emerges from his private viewing box, waving to the crowd.
"(Let the race begin.)" Declared Jabba, an even louder roar erupting from the crowd.
XX
As the others made their way to the stands, Revan grabbed her husband, and stopped him. "Where is HK?"
Naruto sighed. "There's going to be trouble, and I'm stacking the deck."
She looked at him. "Come again?"
"While we were doing some hunting, we ran across a bounty hunter named Aurra Sing."
"Who?"
"A bad-ass bounty hunter, and from what I've heard, she's good enough to hunt Jedi."
Revan's eyes narrow. "And she's here why?"
"Don't know. But she has been asking around about a certain gaki."
Revan's danger sense kicked in. "She's hunting the boy? Why? I mean sure he's gifted, but-"
"Apparently not to kill, but to kidnap. Its why I have HK heading out. We think she's going to be in one of the blind stretches." Naruto admitted.
"I'll get-"
"You stay here with Ben and the girl. Last thing we need is to put her in danger." Naruto said.
"You're sounding very commanding, dear. Reminds me of when you were Hokage."
He smiled, but then she cut it in half with, "And you remember how well I took orders then."
Naruto sighed. "Rev, you be here, I'm taking a swoop bike I acquired-"
"That you killed the previous owner for."
Naruto shrugged. "He was a bounty."
"When you get back, you are going to tell me about what you've been doing, and why you were hunting a Krayt Dragon…without me."
Naruto gulped, and handed her an earlink. "It's set to our channel. That way, you'll know what's happening."
She sighed, and kissed him. "Remember, no mass property damage…"
"And keep the body count to a minimum. I got it, I got it." He finished as he kissed her back before rushing off. Revan sighed as she slipped on the receiver and went to find Obi-Wan and the others.
XX
"Master Revan, where is Naruto?" Obi-Wan asked when she rejoined them.
"He's gone to retrieve HK." Which wasn't a lie, but the last thing she needed was to worry Shmi and Padme, as both were nervous. Everyone else looked at Revan as she entered the viewing platform.
"Is he nervous?" Shmi asked, trying to cover her own fears and nerves by focusing on her son.
Revan smiled. "He's fine." At this, Padme spoke up, "You Jedi are far too reckless. The Queen-"
Revan raised an eyebrow. "If you want to play this game in public, then fine." "The Queen trusts MY judgment, young Handmaiden. You should, too." Revan says, stressing the girl's public title with a grin, and saw the flash of irritation on Padme's face.
"You assume too much." The girl mumbled. Obi-Wan put a calming hand on her shoulder. He'd been chastised by Masters before, and Revan had that same look. He missed something, and whatever it was had upset the handmaiden. Padme shot him a look, and he gave her a reassuring grin as Revan took her seat and the platform rose into the air. With a handheld monitor, entering the name of the racer she wanted to watch.
Overhead, the sound of Fodesinbeed narrating the start of the race had the fans around the stadium getting louder.
XX
On an overhang above the track, the track light begins to flash. Biting the head off a small animal, Jabba spits it at a nearby gong, signaling the start of the race.
The podracers gun it, shooting forward with high-pitched screams. Anakin's engine, however, coughs and sputters, then dies.
All the other racers, except Quadrinaros, swerve around him and disappear down the track. Fans watch, and some laugh as the slave boy struggles to get his racer started.
"Ohoho, wait! Little Skywalker has stalled!" Fodesinbeed quipped
Watching via handheld monitor, Padme and Obi-Wan are distressed with Anakin's situation. Revan puts her arm around a very worried Shmi in a show of comfort. Her eyes, however, are focused on the pod.
Anakin, however, isn't the only one in the hot seat. "And it looks like Quadrinaros is having engine trouble, as well."
Finally, after bypass after bypass, Anakin's engines ignite and he zooms away after the receding pack of competitors, the group cheering as he rounds the bend and disappears.
"And there goes Skywalker. He will be hard pressed to catch up to the leaders."
The Podracers fly across the desert, Sebulba running neck and neck with Mawhonic. They round the first turn in the track, side by side. Sebulba drives his pod into his rival, forcing him into the wall of a large rock formation. Mawhonic shakes his fist in anger, spouting curse words in another language. Sebulba retaliates with curses of his own, and knocks Mawhonic into the rock wall again. The left engine catches on a stone, and the pod disintegrates, Mawhonic crashing in a spectacular display of fire, smoke, and twisted metal.
Anakin's podracer is much sleeker and faster than the back-end stragglers, and he passes several of them easily. One racer, Gasgano, won't let Anakin pass him. Anakin tries to pass him on one side, then the other, only to be cut off each time. As they come up on a cliff drop-off, Anakin backs off, then guns it as Gasgano goes over the cliff. Anakin accelerates so fast, that he sails right over the top of Gasgano, and speeds away.
Threading several narrow canyons, the racers maintain a single file formation, unable to pass one another due to the narrow canyon walls. As they enter a cave, the stalagmites and stalactites force the racers to weave wildly to avoid a painful death.
One such racer, Ratts Tyerell, looks away for a brief moment to contemplate his position. As he turns around, he's given two seconds to scream, as his racer impacted a solid wall of stalagmite and stalactite columns, resulting in a huge fireball that flared out, singing several other racers.
Four Tusken Raiders perched above the race course fire their rifles at the pods racing in the canyon below them. One shot ricochets off the back of Anakin's pod.
"Looks like several Tusken Raiders are camped out on the Canyon Dune Turn." came Fodesinbeed's announcement.
Back with the crowd, Revan looks at the results and keeps her face blank, but inside she's seething.
"Blast it…Naruto, where are you?"
"Why? What's wrong?" The blond sent back to his wife.
"Tusken's are camped out on the Canyon Dune Turn. They just took some shots at Anakin and the other racers." Revan sent back.
"I'll do what I can, love, but HK has engaged Sing. She's more dangerous at the moment than some Sand People trying to get in some sport." Naruto sent back.
"Be careful, love. I don't like the fact a bounty hunter like Sing is focusing on Anakin, if it's like you said." Revan sent back.
There was no further reply, and she knew that he had entered battle.
XX
While Anakin was busy racing, HK-47 was tearing up the Tatooine landscape with excessive amounts of blaster fire with his assault rifle.
"Statement: Hold still, pale meatbag, so that I can teach you the meaning of love."
Aurra Sing backflipped and landed behind a crop of boulders. The white-skinned woman cursed as the insane droid had somehow snuck up on her.
"Statement: Master would not approve of your intentions towards the rather annoying little meatbag. Addendum: Therefore, your termination is required."
Since then, she'd been unable to do much but avoid the blaster bolts.
From her position in the cropping, she could see a swoop bike rapidly approaching their position. "Jedi?" Aurra thought, feeling the unusual energy around the individual. She saw spiky blond hair blowing wildly as the swoop came around, and slowed to a stop, the rider performing a front flip and landing next to the droid that still had her pinned down with the excessive amounts of laser fire.
"This keeps up, and I'll miss my target." She thought, as the insane amount of ammunition being fired her was was starting to take its' toll on the boulder, the rock having become hot enough that it now started to slough off, each round scooping out chunks of molten rock. She could hear the droid comment on its' master's arrival.
"Greetings and Salutations, Master. Inquiry: Permission to use grenades?" the droid asked cheerfully.
"Not right this second, HK. Go and deal with the Tuskens out near the Canyon Dune Turn. Leave none alive." The blond ordered. This order of termination surprised Sing, as she thought for certain the swoop rider was a Jedi.
"Compliance, Master. Caution: Careful with this one, Master. Aurra Sing is reported to have Jedi training."
"I'll be fine, HK."
Aurra Sing peeked around the boulder, and saw a man with tan skin, blond hair and whisker marks on his cheeks. He saw her, and grinned.
"Hello there. Come on out, HK is gone and won't hurt you."
Aurra scoffed, but stepped out. "Lies. Your droid attacked me under your orders."
Naruto shrugged. "I heard you were after a certain boy, and I can't allow you to have him."
Aurra drew her blaster. "I don't think a young Padawan like yourself is a match for me."
Naruto smiled. "Why is every last one of you imbeciles so overconfident?"
Aurra looked at him, he had yet to draw a weapon. "So be it. DIE, JEDI!" she yelled as she opened fire.
Naruto spun avoiding the hail of blaster fire. As he danced around her fire, he casually removed his jacket, not wanting to get another hole in it, and cocked back his shuriken launcher. Pulling on four wires, eight shuriken were fired from the compact device in quick, successive bursts. Caught off-guard, Sing barely managed to dodge the throwing stars, although several sliced through the arms of her shirt and pant legs, leaving ragged tears in the cloth.
"What the hell are those?" the bounty hunter demanded as she got to her feet. "Those aren't the weapons of a Jedi."
Naruto smirked. "I'm no Jedi…well not yet, at least. Maybe never, to be honest. I'm a ninja." He said as his hands blurred. Aurra's eyes widened as she felt the wind around her pick up, raising her blaster and firing a couple of rounds. However, Naruto dodged them effortlessly, while finishing his handsigns.
"Futon: Atsugai!" he monotoned, before opening his mouth and firing a concentrated ball of wind at Aurra.
The pale bounty hunter barely managed to dodge, the resulting explosion from the jutsu carving a scar into the earth she had once been standing on. Looking back, she gaped at the new three-foot trench that was added to the landscape, seeing it continue onward until it hit a wall, indenting the wall like a child would indent playdoh.
Naruto smirked, seeing her reaction. "Now, can we talk about this nicely, or do I have to get serious?"
Aurra pulled a frag grenade. Pulling the pin, she tossed it and ran.
She was surprised moments later when it flew back over and landed at her feet.
Swearing in Huttese she managed to leap away as it exploded, landing on her butt as she looked back to see his hand lowering back to his side.
"I'm going to take that as a no."
XX
Revan could feel her husband's mirth, and watched as the blaster fire from the Tusken Raiders was suddenly cut off, the pods passing by without further incident.
"HK or Naruto must have dealt with them." The Jedi Master thought. She noticed the handmaiden was gripping Obi-Wan's hand and filed that away for later torment. "Blackmail." She mentally corrected.
"Naruto, love, what are you doing?" she mentally sent out. She didn't get an actual answer, but she got a sense of mischief.
"Fine, but I want details." she sent, then focused on the race once more, watching as another pod exploded, missing the turn and slamming into the canyon wall.
"I prefer swoop bikes. Better control." She thought as the howl of engines was heard.
Below, Quadrinaros has refused to give up. Now resorting to pounding on his control panel, he finally gets some results.
…
…
…
The energy beams criss-crossing each other and connecting the engines to one another shorts out, before failing altogether.
At the same time, Quadrinaros' engines suddenly turn on. Normally, this would be a good thing, except for one, tiny problem:
There's nothing connecting the engines to one another.
This chain of unfortunate events causes his podracer to commit suicide, the four engines shooting up in the air, before separating and swerving sporadically throughout the sky, before losing altitude and crashing onto the arena floor below, Quadrinaros' actual pod skipping a few feet before sliding to a stop, mere yards away from where he started.
"OHHH, there goes Quadrinaros' power couplings." says Fodesinbeed, with an amused chuckle.
Meanwhile, the other remaining racers come barreling into the arena, narrowly avoiding the stranded Quadrinaros as they pass around his beached pod and round the corner, going into lap two with Sebulba still in the lead.
Ody Mandrell makes a pit stop, his droids immediately going to work on his overheated left engine. As the droids scuttle about, one droid mistakenly forgets to stay away from the suction of the engine, and is sucked into the spinning blades, emerging unharmed on the other side. The engine, however, is destroyed, and Ody facepalms in disbelief, as he's now forced to forfeit the race.
Anakin's pod passes an eye blink later, the gap closer now as the crowd is wild with excitement. Revan can feel the tension from both Shmi and Padme. She can feel Obi-Wan trying to use the Force to keep the handmaiden calm.
"Okay there, Ben?" she asks, and looks at his hand, which is the vise-like grip of Padme. Obi-Wan winces slightly as she squeezes tighter.
"Perfectly fine, Master Revan." He says, and she can hear the hint of strain in his voice. She smirks at him, letting him know that he's been caught in his little white lie.
XX
Sebulba, meanwhile, reaches into one of his compartments, and comes up with a small engine wrench, chuckling to himself as he simply lets it go. The piece of scrap falls away, landing snugly into Mars Guo's left engine. The engine explodes, sending Mars careening into the canyon floor, before his pod is swept away, nearly catching Anakin in the head as it soars over.
A small piece of scrap from the wreckage manages to catch on one of Anakin's tether cables. Anakin struggles to keep control of his little pod as it whips about wildly.
"Skywalker's spinning out of control!" came Fodesinbeed's announcement.
As the pod swings near the broken engine strap, the youngest racer there makes a grab for it, finally catching it using a magnetic tool and hooks it to the pod.
Ahead of this, while Anakin does some in-flight maintenance, Sebulba flashes another racer with his side exhaust, and the racer crashes with a cloud of dust. A third racer flies into the dust cloud, and crashes into the downed pod, destroying both.
"OOOHHH, I don't care WHAT Universe you're from. That has GOT to hurt!" quipped Fodesinbeed.
Anakin rounds the corner and heads into the cloud of smoke and dust, hiting one of the engine remains, but managing to regain control quickly.
Anakin finally manages to catch up with Sebulba, the pair running neck and neck over the rough terrain. Everyone in the stadium screams as they come through the arena. The lights in the tower indicate that this is the start of the third and final lap.
"It's the start of the third and final lap. Sebulba is in the lead, followed closely by Skywalker."
Sebulba uses his side exhaust port to try and cut through Anakin's engines. The youngster manages to avoid having his engine disabled, but is forced off course and onto a service ramp, busting the barriers that had been set up before the race.
Ohoho, Skywalker's been forced onto the service ramp!"
XX
Naruto was having a grand time. The bounty hunter was devious, and had lots of different attacks that, while not successful, most definitely kept him entertained.
Right now, Sing had taken out her red lightsaber, and was having a rather one-sided duel with the supposed "Padawan"...with the "Padawan" winning.
Clashing blades yet again, Naruto kicked her in the side, knocking her to the ground before using a weak Force Push to shove her against the wall.
Lifting his hand, a Rasengan began to form, the former Jedi's eyes widening, then closing as the ball dove for her head. Embedding itself in the rock wall, a grinding sound could be heard as chips of rock began to pelt the assassin's face. Opening her eyes, she saw Naruto's left arm mere inches from her head, the Rasengan having burrowed a head-sized hole into the rock next to her.
Leaning down, his lightsaber underneath her chin, Naruto put his face next to hers.
"Are you done squirming? Will you forgo this bounty, or do I have to make you give it up?"
Seething, Auura spat in Naruto's face. "Go to hell, Jedi. I would rather be killed than yield to scum like you!"
Naruto used his hand to wipe his face, his frown tightening.
"So be it."
Naruto heard the howl of the engine, and looked up just in time to see a very familiar pod shoot off an emergency ramp and into the air.
He watched as the pod sailed through the air, and he could see the boy making adjustments and the pod make its' descent.
Naruto smirked, seeing Anakin nearly take off Sebulba's head as he landed in front of him, and rocketed away.
"WAY TO GO, GAKI!" he cheered. His danger sense kicked in, and he rolled to the side, avoiding the blaster bolt aimed for his skull.
Auura ducked and rolled as well, the greenish-white saber slicing through the rock where her neck once was. Standing, she reactivated her saber, flinging it at his legs, only to recall it when he did a kickflip into the air, the spinning red blade missing his ankles entirely.
Using one of the numerous boulders as a springboard, Naruto flung himself at Auura, actually trying to do her harm now, considering that this had gone on long enough. Knocking her saber to the side, he brought his leg around in a frontal roundhouse kick, the top of his foot catching her head and sending her sprawling, her lightsaber flying from her hand to land next to her.
"Are we done now, Auura? You're target is gone and you've been defeated. Please don't make me destroy you. There's no point now."
Shakily getting to her legs, lightsaber firmly in her grip, Auura spat out a globule of blood. Holstering her saber, she pointed a shaking finger at the blonde. "The next time I see you, I will KILL YOU, Jedi scum!"
Backflipping over a boulder, she landed on her swoop before taking off, leaving Naruto in a cloud of dust.
Naruto sighed, and deactivated his lightsaber. He turned, heaing the approaching swoop carrying HK, and leaned against the rock.
"Master?" HK intoned, the red optics scanning their surroundings. "Question: You didn't kill the pale meatbag?"
"She got away, HK." He said.
"Incredulous Statement: You let her go? Statement: Disappointed Feelings, Master. I must inform Mistress that you have gone soft, and allowed female meatsack to escape."
Naruto sighed. "There are times I really hate HK and his way of thinking."
Climbing onto the swoop, he sighed. "Just take us back to Revan."
"Affirmative, Master."
As the swoop sped away, Naruto felt his curiosity prickle. "HK, what happened with the Tuskens?"
"Report: I left none of them alive. Just like you asked, Master. Glorious Jubilation: They screamed as I shot off their kneecaps. Additional Statement: Then, they made keening wails as I proceeded to eviscerate them with my wrist blades. Justification: They attempted to fight back with their gaffi sticks. Contemplative Pause: They really need to get better weapons if they wish to do battle efficiently."
Naruto shook his head as the droid (with sound effects) retold the battle as he drove.
XX
"HE WON!" Padme yelled as Anakin crossed the finish line. They had witnessed the struggle between the boy and the Dug as they approached the arena. Revan smiles recalling as she felt Anakin pull on the Force to separate his pod from the Dug's and the resulting crash for the alien that had cheated his way throughout the entire race was nothing if not sweet.
"I detest cheaters." She thought, completely forgetting her earlier attempt at cheating Watto in a supposed game of chance. "Racing should be about skill, not about how many underhanded tactics you can pull off, and get away with."
She smiled, seeing Obi-Wan pull the boy from his pod and spin him around in the air before putting him down, where he was mobbed by his friend Kitster and his mother. She watched as Padme knelt and hugged him. With a smirk, she went to find a certain Toydarian to collect their winnings.
XX
In the upper balconies, Watto finished handing yet another losing bet to a Quarren, who tuned and left upon receiving his prize. Sighing, Watto turned to the sound of footsteps, already prepared to lose even more, but becoming enraged upon seeing Revan's grinning face.
"YOU! YOU SWINDLED ME!" he growled out, itching to wrap his long fingers around the Jedi Master's neck. "You KNEW the boy was going to do it! Somehow, you knew!"
His disposition changed to sorrow. "I lost everything."
Revan's face adopted a serious expression. "Whenever you gamble, my friend, there's always a chance you'll lose. Bring the parts to the main hangar."
She turned and regarded the racetrack. "I will come by your shop later, so you can release the boy and his mother."
Folding his arms, Watto pouted. "You can't have them. It wasn't a fair bet."
Revan turned on Watto, an evil smirk appearing on her face. "Really? It wasn't a fair bet, you say? Do those loaded dice you carry with you constitute as fair? How about the wagers you placed before the race?"
She shrugged. "It really doesn't matter. If you want, we can discuss this with the Hutts, seeing as they are the hosts of the Boonta Eve Classic, and they are the go-to individuals for all betting disputes. I'm sure they can settle this."
Watto's face fell, and his body drooped slightly. "...Take them."
Revan nodded and left Watto, smiling as she saw Naruto leaning against a wall waiting for her. She relaxed into his arms and he kissed her lips deeply, running his hands over her body as she did the same.
"Where's HK?" she asked after several minutes of silence.
"I have him keeping an eye on the boy." Naruto said. "Aurra Sing is still out there...as is the person who ordered her to capture him."
Revan nuzzled his chest. "You stink, Namikaze." She said, getting a good whiff of him.
"Yeah? Well, desert fighting does that. Not to mention she had Jedi training." Naruto said.
"How do you know?" Revan asked, not breaking contact with her husband.
"The way she moved, the feeling of using the Force for some of her moves. Classic signs of training."
Revan sighed. "We'll need to look into it later, I guess, once we get back to Coruscant."
She then poked him in the ribs. "And you have a lot explaining to do."
Naruto sighed. "Okay. But then, so do you."
Revan smiled. "Come on, let's get you somewhere where you can wash up and tell me about what you and my droid have been doing."
Naruto, an arm over her shoulders, let her lead him towards the hanger where the others were waiting. "I will say this: it hasn't been dull since I woke up."
Revan smiled, happy that her husband was fitting into her world easier than she did in his all those years ago.
XX
"I can't believe it." Shmi said later that day as they were gathered in the Skywalker home.
"Believe it." Naruto said, holding up the disarming device for their explosives.
"Mom…" Anakin whispered. "We're free." He said, his eyes wide in shock.
Obi-Wan and Padme had taken the needed parts back to the ship with Artoo and HK, leaving the Namikazes with the Skywalkers.
Shmi smiled as she hugged her son, tears in her eyes. She looked at the Namikazes, a watery smile on her lips. "Thank you. Thank you both so much." She said, her voice choked with emotions.
Revan shared a look with her husband. "We would like to make you an offer, Shmi."
Revan watched as Anakin packed, the boy's whole posture screaming defiance.
"She wants the best for you." She finally said.
"What would you know?" Anakin asked as he shoved a wadded shirt into his backpack. Revan smirked and used the Force to pull it back out and fold it neatly. "Because my mother gave me to the Jedi when I was younger than you. You, at least, got to know your mother, Anakin. Mine feared me when I used the Force to float a stuffed animal to my crib as a baby." Revan said with a hint of sadness. "Many children are taken from their parents before they're five, and by the time their your age, they no longer recall who their families were."
"Why?" the boy turned to look at her curiously.
Revan sighed. "As long as I can remember, the Jedi separated families. They said it caused too much emotional conflict, and that it made it harder to gain control over your emotions."
"And they did that to you?"
Revan nodded as she folded his clothes and repack them into the backpack. "I was nearly six when Jedi Master Vrook came, and took me and my sister away. She was sent to one enclave, and I to another."
"Did you ever get to see her again?" Anakin asked.
Revan's eyes took on a faraway look. "Jayden was my twin. Even separated, we had a bond; all our people did. When a Sith Lord calling himself Exar Kun destroyed our world, our people were wiped out. We were the last."
"That's impossible!" Anakin said.
"I wish it was. I think that's when I began to look for power, for revenge. Jayden tried to talk me out of it, but with my best friend Malak supporting me, we hunted Kun down."
"You killed him." Anakin said with a nod.
"No. I beat him." Revan said. "I turned away, and was going to leave him for the Republic to put on trial." Revan closed her eyes. "Vyper however used the Force to send his lightsaber flying at my unprotected back. I sensed it too late to protect myself, and I was exhausted from the fights to get to him and with him."
Revan felt a pain she hadn't felt in a very long time. "Jayden, who had exhausted herself with fighting his troops, didn't use the Force, and instead threw her own body in the way and took the killing blow." Revan could still picture seeing the red bladed lightsaber penetrate her sister's body and sticking out her back.
Revan opened her eyes and looked right in Anakin's. "I took my first step to the dark side that day. I used my anger on Exar Kun, but it was not enough, and he escaped. By the time the Republic soldiers arrived, he was gone."
She put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "A year later, I led an army to war. By the end, I was so full of anger and resentment at the Jedi Council, that I took the army and went to war with the Republic, I hunted my fellow Jedi."
Revan felt an arm, and knew Naruto was right behind her. He knew everything about her.
"What happened then?" Anakin asked.
"I was given a second chance. Malak, my best friend, turned on me for more power. The Jedi saved me from death. For quite some time, I didn't know who I was, or what I had done, but when I did, I was sick as I recalled what led me to that point. I wanted nothing more than to die, to pay for all my sins. It was then that I was visited by my sister's spirit. She scolded me, told me to remember who I was, where I came from."
Naruto hugged her from behind and she grinned. "I found balance for myself. I found friends, family and love."
She smiled over her shoulder at her husband. "So, back to the origin of this tale. To start, I believe the Jedi are right, but at the same time, I feel that in later years, connections give us reason and purpose."
Anakin was still confused, but Naruto patted the boy on the head.
"Don't worry gaki. You'll understand when you're older." Naruto said, letting his wife go.
"Is Shmi ready?"
"Mom's coming too?" Anakin asked, immediately excited.
"For now." Revan said, her tone indicating that their final destination wouldn't be Anakin's or his mom's.
"Am I going to become a Jedi?" Anakin asked.
"Maybe, maybe not." Revan said with a shrug. "Hard to say. The future is always in motion."
"And if the fossils on the council won't take him, we go with Plan B." Naruto said with a sure grin.
"What's Plan B? And why couldn't I stay and hear what you said to my mother?"
"Some things you don't need to know, or aren't ready to know yet." Naruto said. "But in the future, you will be."
Anakin pouted, at not knowing what had been said.
"So what now?"
Revan nodded, and squared her shoulders. "Now, we go to our ship and get off this dust bowl."
They were leaving the Skywalker home when they ran into Qui-Gon.
"What are you doing out here?" Revan asked the other Master.
"Came to see what was keeping you. Obi-Wan was going on about picking up passengers." At this, his gaze landed on Anakin and Shmi.
"Hello." The Jedi Master said giving them a bow.
"Just admit you were being nosey, and wanted to stretch your legs." Naruto said, and Qui-Gon gave him a small grin, which was returned with a much larger one.
"Men." Revan said, rolling her eyes. She made the introductions, and Qui-Gon decided to be Shmi's escort as they left Mos Espa, Anakin taking the time to say goodbye to his friends. The Namikazes leading the way. The three Jedi, despite feeling something was amiss, never noticed the sensor ball near the top of a building, marking their presence and the direction they were headed in.
XX
Naruto squinted and looked around. They were a mile out of Mos Espa and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.
Revan saw him looking around. "What is it, love?" she sent through their bond.
"I don't know. But I feel…You remember that time we went after Sasuke, and Akatsuki ambushed us?" Naruto sent to his wife.
"Yes. We managed to kill Hidan, but Sasuke got away. Well, he didn't die, but they were unable to put him back together, and he needed to meet some sort of killing quota with his god, in order to keep that immortality of his, so I'd say he's dead now." Revan said, remembering that day the supposed immortal found out what happens when his supposed god and immortality met a pissed off woman wielding a lightsaber.
"I'm feeling something disturbingly similar. I don't think its aimed at the boy or his mother, but at us." Naruto confessed.
It wasn't until they were in sight of the ship that Qui-Gon, Revan and Naruto turned.
"SHMI! ANAKIN! DROP!" Qui-Gon and Revan yelled. As the two individuals hit the deck, a speeder bike passed over them, a figure in black flipping off and heading for the strongest individual he could sense: Naruto.
Caught off-guard, Naruto barely managed to get his blade in hand before the figure slammed his against it.
Turning to Revan and Qui-Gon, he knew he had their attention. "GO! I'LL DEAL WITH THIS ONE!"
Revan took a step forward. "But Naruto-"
"NO BUTS! GO! I CAN'T FIGHT AND PROTECT AT THE SAME TIME!" he fired back, shoving the cloaked figure back, and in doing so, knocking away his hood, revealing the red and black tattoos covering the Zabrak's face and neck.
Cursing violently, Revan picked up Shmi, while Qui-Gon picked up Anakin, and both Masters headed for the ship.
"You sure he will be all right?" asked Qui-Gon worriedly.
"If he dies, I'll kill him." replied Revan,
XX
Maul was not in the best of moods.
He'd found more Jedi than what was reported, and what was worse, his master had actually been wrong, for once. Sure, the older man would have been little problem for him to deal with. The woman, however, would have been trouble, and he may very well have lost against her.
That was not his immediate concern, however, seeing as the individual before him was at least twice as strong as the woman, if not stronger. How the blonde had managed to fool his Force Senses was beyond him, but one minute, he was ready to strike down what felt like a Padawan, and the next minute, he was being driven back by an opponent that could very well rival his master in strength!
"I don't think I can win this fight..." he thought, before shaking his head. "NO! Master does not tolerate failure of ANY kind! I can do this. I HAVE to do this!"
Backflipping, Maul activated the other end of his dual-bladed saber, nearly slicing the blonde's head clean off. "Damnit! That was the only surprise attack I was going to get, and it failed! I'm really going to have to work for this one..."
Naruto, meanwhile, was increasingly concerned with every stroke of the Sith's blade. "This guy is strong, no doubt about that. The only problem is...is he the Master...or the Apprentice?"
Blocking a leg sweep, Naruto spun into a full 360 roundhouse kick, catching the Sith in the ribs, and driving him back across the dunes. Maul retaliated with a Force Push, one Naruto countered with Futon: Daitoppa. Both attacks collided, and canceled each other out, a large cloud of dust enveloping the air.
"I'VE GOT HIM!" thought Darth Maul, seeing the dust cloud as an advantage. Leaping forward, he thrust his blade through the blonde's torso, grinning as he heard him gasp, and-
POOF!
A small cloud of smoke erupted from where the blonde's corpse should have been, the cloud of smoke canceling out the cloud of dust, revealing nothing.
"IMPOSSIBLE! I FELT HIM GET STABBED!"
"RASENGAN!"
Maul barely flipped out of the way, the ground where he had once been standing erupting in a shower of sand and dirt. Wide eyed, Maul backed away from the now-revealed Ninja. Standing there, his green-white saber humming, Naruto glared daggers at the Sith.
"What technique was that? I've never seen it used by either Jedi OR Sith! Wait a moment...I sense anger...yes, anger is rolling off him in WAVES...he's...he's using his anger to fight? That's impossible! Jedi don't use their anger. They are weak, and blind! They suppress their emotions, believing it to be for the greater good...but not this one...no, this one...this one is different..."
Both combatants springing forward, the red and green blades clashed again, sparks flying as they slammed against each other again and again.
Naruto ducked under a overhead swipe, and thrust his blade at his opponent's gut. He merely deflected the strike with his own, and spun the blade around, intent on using the other side to slice off the blonde's arm.
Reversing the grip on his lightsaber, Naruto managed to direct the now downwards-angled blade to block the strike, before shoving the Sith off and spinning around, slamming his blade against Maul's yet again.
Back and forth they went, sweat streaming down the Zabrak's face as he was pushed back again and again by this juggernaut of the Force, his arms already weakening from the strain. Breaking another saber lock, the Sith swung his lightsaber in a wide arc, forcing the blonde to backflip away, or be bisected.
"This is not good. At this rate, I'm the one who will be killed. Master said to only use this under dire circumstances, but I do believe this counts as one."
Adopting a relaxed stance, Maul seemed to tense, then relax, his eyes closing as both hands loosely gripped his doublesaber. Breathing in and out slowly, almost as if he was meditating, Maul stopped moving completely.
Naruto stopped, as well. He KNEW the Sith was up to something, and whatever it was, it couldn't be any good. Springing forward, lightsaber in hand, he was prepared to end this conflict.
Snapping his eyes open, Maul moved at such a speed, that if Naruto had not had decades of experience dealing with extremely fast opponents, his head would have been cleaved from his shoulders. Instead, he aborted his strike, and with reflexes that could only be obtained from nearly a century of combat experience, threw his head back and bent backwards, the red energy blade searing over his face by mere inches.
Backflipping again, Naruto landed mere yards from the Queen's ship. Noticing his wife's frantic look, he nodded and turned to Darth Maul.
"I'm impressed." Maul commented. "You are the first Jedi I've ever encountered that has survived my Sith Speed Strike."
"Gee, thanks for the compliment." Naruto deadpanned. "You're not so bad, yourself."
Maul grinned, before noticing the Queen's ship preparing to take off. He began to sprint towards it, using the Force to increase his speed.
"Ohoho, no you don't, my friend." said Naruto as he reached into his pouch.
Nearing the Nubian cruiser, Maul's eyes widened slightly when a strange, three-pronged weapon crossed his path. His eyes widened considerably when that weapon suddenly turned into the blonde menace. Caught completely off-guard, the Zabrak could do nothing except block the blonde's blade, forcing him to cancel his Sith Speed, or risk losing his head in the process.
With a spinning axe-kick, Naruto nailed the Sith square on the top of his skull, sending him plummeting to the ground below. Creating a clone, he had it grab his arm, and fling him towards the ship's landing ramp, landing on it safely before deactivating his saber, and entering the ship.
Prying his face from the sand, he spat out a couple of mouthfuls before glaring at the sleek, silver ship as it shot off, slowing slightly before entering hyperspace. "That blonde nerf-herder will pay...ooooohhhhh, will he pay! I will gut him like a Ugnaught the next time we meet." He thought, standing and heading for the speeder bike, his mind not even trying to figure out how to report this failure to his master.
XX
(Onboard the Queen's ship)
"Are you okay?" Anakin asked rushing up along with Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Padme and Revan. R2-D2, C-3P0, and HK-47 entering after them.
"I'm fine, Gaki." Naruto said, leaning against a bulkhead, panting slightly.
Revan said not a word, but instead embraced her husband, kissing him in between his panting breaths.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. You hear me?"
Qui-Gon leaned against another bulkhead, deep in thought.
"We're in trouble." He finally said.
"Why?" Obi-Wan asked his master.
"That Zabrak was trained. Sith trained."
"That's not possible. The Sith are dead and gone, aren't they?"
Qui-Gon shook his head at his Padawan's naivety. "We will be cautious and keep our eyes open. He was very skilled."
"No kidding. He managed to hold me off at 50% Normal Power." Naruto said.
Revan blinked. "You were using 50%? He was that strong?"
Naruto shook his head. "Probably around 55%, to be honest, but I was holding back. I didn't use Sage Mode, nor did I use the You-Know-What Transformation." he said, hinting to his Complete Tailed Beast Mode.
"Complaint Registration: Why wasn't I invited, Master?"
The eight turned to see HK-47 standing there with the assault rifle. Behind him was Shmi, looking nervous.
"Next time, HK. Next time." Naruto said, as he rested his head against his wife's.
"Next stop: Coruscant." Revan's voice intruded.
"Er…this may be a bad time to ask, but do you think they've cleaned up after my last prank yet?:
Revan sighed. "You are such a child, at times."
Everyone looked at the couple as they chuckled.
XX
Later that night, a figure crept across the main hold, stopping at the communications console. The dim lights reveal it to be Padme. As she taps several buttons, and turns the volume down to avoid waking the sleeping Anakin and Shmi on the acceleration couches across the way.
She listens to Bibble plead, and she sighs, her eyes holding exhaustion. She turns, and nearly yelps at Obi-Wan, having been caught in the act.
"Can't sleep?" he asks softly.
Padme gathers herself. "The Queen is worried. Her people are suffering…dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene, or…" she trails off, not sure what to say.
"Trying times are ahead." Obi-Wan says. He notices her slight shiver, picks up a spare blanket, and wraps it around her. "You're shivering."
"I guess I'm still adjusting from being on such a warm planet." Padme says, accepting the blanket.
"You don't seem to be bothered." She noted.
Obi-Wan smiled. "With Master Qui-Gon I got used to moving from place to place. Different climates." He shrugs. "The Force is a powerful ally."
"And such stylish robes can't hurt, either." She teased, getting a smile from as well.
"They serve their purpose." He countered.
Padme looks over, seeing Anakin asleep. "I wonder what will happen to him and his mother now."
Obi-Wan looked at the boy that had won both the most prestigious podrace in the entire galaxy, as well as their freedom. "Master Revan and Naruto have begun to train him, or as Naruto put it: Getting him into shape."
"So, you think he'll be a Jedi?" Padme asked.
Obi-Wan shrugged. "It is not up to me to say. The Council will be the ones who decide. Regardless of what happens, Master Revan and Naruto seem to have plans."
He looked at Padme, a grin on his face. "Why so concerned? You going to miss his crush?"
Padme narrowed her eyes at him. "Why? Jealous?" she countered.
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "And pray tell, young handmaiden, am I supposed to be jealous?"
The two shared a look.
"If I have to tell you, then perhaps you aren't as wise as you think." She slipped around him, and headed back to the Queen's quarters.
Obi-Wan watched her go. Neither one had noticed the eyes from the acceleration couch watching them.
And there you have it! I know I said that I'd get to the fight several chapters ago, but I figured I'd go ahead and leave the podrace in. It's kinda fun to read about people crashing in glorious fireballs of death and destruction...at least it is for me, anyway.
Regardless, the fight with Maul got a major overhaul. It went from 1-on-1 in the original movie, to 3-on-1 in ESM's version, back to 1-on-1 in my version. I will tell you right now, if you don't already know this: Naruto is going to be a complete badass in this fanfic. A couple of times, he may very well fall short of god-status, but he's not perfect, despite most avid fans' belief to the contrary. Still, I hope you liked it, considering it took me nearly an hour to put the whole thing together.
-Sgt. Assassin