Track Twenty-Four

Battle of Theed

"You sure about this?"

"Yup."

"Alright I'll drop you off nearby so you don't spook 'em. Good luck partner."

"We've found evidence of an army in the swamp," Nute Gunray reported to Lord Sidious. "It appears to be group of primitives. We're sending the army to meet them."

"And still no sign of the Queen?" His master's voice hissed.

"Ah um..No my lord," Gunray stammered looking panicked. "We've not be able to find her as of yet."

"Then keep looking," Lord Sidious snarled. "I want her found. Lord Maul be mindful of anything unexpected. Let the events unfold as they will."

"Yes my master."

"Alright," Panaka said once the main briefing was over with. Peter was honestly surprised how easily the Gungans took to being told they were bait. Then again going to Theed to face a reduced force might not appeal to their warrior ways. Whatever. "Now we advance unto Theed. Quill you're going to be with me once we get to Theed. Ben you're with the kid."

"Sure," Obi-Wan agreed easily before turning to Anakin. "Hear that kid? I'm guarding you along with Jinn."

"Okay," Anakin said with a clearly forced nonchalant shrug. It was clear the kiddo was excited for the battle despite the warnings given to him. Peter couldn't blame him entirely after all he thought the same when he was a kid until he got out to space with Yondu and realized very quickly how much it sucked. Hopefully the kid wouldn't get too bad of a wake up call. Well that was the hope there.

"And when I say stay in a place you stay," Qui-Gon interjected with a gentle but firm tone. "I am serious about keeping you safe."

"Sure," Anakin said this time with far more serious tone. "I'll do it sir."

"Let's go," Panaka said as everyone loaded themselves onto various landspeeders they'd acquired during their raids. Peter went on the one with Obi-Wan and Anakin at the tail end. Qui-Gon went ahead to help protect Padmé along with Panaka. That suited him just fine since it meant that Obi-Wan and he could psyche themselves out in prep for the battle.

"You take the lead," Obi-Wan said looking at him. "I'll defend."

"So same old same old?"

"Pretty much."

"Groovy," Peter said as they fell into a comfortable silence. Peter then looked on as the landscape changed from a swamp to a grasslands and then finally into a burgeoning city. It looked really nice if abandoned. There was no damaged to buildings unlike the other invaded worlds he'd seen before with Yondu. Once they'd reached the outskirts all of them waited until the main speeder turned off their engines.

Once done they disembarked and began sneaking through the city. Just as predicted the main troops were away with a small security contingent. The droids for better or worse continued to walk around in a guard formation. Then at the other side of the street he saw the blinking signal being made indicating the second group was ready and in position.

"Alright we're on," Peter said as he readying his blasters and holding his EMP poppers. Taking a deep breath he ran out into the street throwing the bombs and screamed: "COWABUNGA!"

Behind him he heard a Kree war whoop and soon more bombs were lobbed at the droids. The droids clearly not expecting it were quickly taken down by the bombs. Peter grinned for a second has he pulled out his blasters and began firing before being roughly grabbed by Obi-Wan to the back. Peter was about to berate his brother for ruining his quite frankly awesome entrance until he noticed the tanks coming towards them that were quickly distracted by the rest of the guard force. Soon the group reached the hanger with Peter and Obi-Wan running ahead and spraying the area with reflected bolts and bolts of his own. Soon the rest of the guards came in and began to fire upon the surrounding droids.

"GET TO YOUR SHIPS!" Padmé shouted as she provided fire for them.

The pilots tried to fulfill that command along with Anakin which made Peter even more aware of his firing radius and his cover. Soon Obi-Wan noticed and quickly pulled in his defense making it tighter and harder for the droids to get a hit in. As they did this Peter heard several engines starting up and from the corner of his eye he saw several ships fly off from the hanger into space to accomplish their part in the plan. Finally after what seemed to be a short time the hanger was empty of both droids and ships...well save for the ones whose pilots had fallen in the line of duty.

"We need to proceed to the throne room now," Padmé said. "Who don't have much time before the Viceroy mounts an assault and I don't want the Gungans to suffer."

"Agreed," Panaka said into the silence. "Red group, blue group," he called gesturing to them. "Everybody this way."

"Hey," Anakin called out to them standing up in the cockpit. "Wait for me."

"Anakin stay in that cockpit that's an order," Qui-Gon said. "Stay there."

"But I-"

"Now you mind him ya hear?" Peter countered rather harshly before Anakin could finish. He didn't want to be mean to the kid but he wasn't going to be the one to explain to Shmi why Anakin got himself killed or wounded. She already was worried enough with him even going to battle. He wasn't about let the kid get hurt due to his need to help however admirable it may be. "I mean it boy! If you don't stay there then I'll tan your hide if those droids don't. You're lucky you're even here. You got me boy!"

"Guys," Obi-Wan said interrupting their conversation or rather Peter's rant that sounded scarily like Yondu now that he thought about it. "There's something up ahead. And I've got a really bad feeling about this."

"What?"

Suddenly the hanger door opened to the main entrance way with...HOLY COW!

"AH!" Peter screamed making everyone save for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon jump as he stared at the black garbed the red and black skinned horned sulfur eyed abomination. "Kill it! Kill it with fire! What the frak is that?!"

"I'll handle this," Qui-Gon said calmly.

"By yourself? Like hell that's going to happen. I'm helping whether you like it or not old man," Obi-Wan said grimly readying himself holding his lightsaber in one hand and his other readying what looked like a chakra array for a spell. "We'll take care of it."

"You think?! Holy cow what is that?! I thought that Abeloth stuff that wizard mentioned was scary but holy crap this is terrifying!"

"Protect the Queen," Qui-Gon ordered him as both and Obi-Wan approached the being who dropped his cloak dramatically like Mumm-Ra transformation sequence. He half expected the guy to call upon the ancient spirits of evil. Then shaking his head to clear it Peter shouted at them: "I'll do that but hey bro and uncle! Take care of each other! Kick that guy's tail!"

"Droidekas!" One of the men shouted gaining Peter's attention. Turning away he saw crablike droids appear...with shields and he was out of poppers. Aw man this was gonna suck...

Obi-Wan gulped as he looked at his foe. It was the same dude from the desert looking eager and bloodthirsty even Qui-Gon's calming presence couldn't quell the thought that he was fighting what quite frankly looked like something from nightmares. What the blazes?

"Follow my movements," Master said as he took off his cloak. "We'll find a rhythm but we need time to synchronize with each other."

"Aye," Obi-Wan agreed as he lowered himself into a crouch his lightsaber held in front of him. His other hand twitched as his other hand ready to launch a spell when the time was right. The being...a Zabrak pulled out a double sided lightsaber and soon activated both sides. Master activated his lightsaber and Obi-Wan leapt over him to get behind him. The being lunged forward to Master and then the battle was joined.

It was odd at first considering it'd been years since he'd done this with a partner but the Force was with him and soon he found himself letting go. But unlike the old days of a pattern to his fight that had been natured by the Temple there was some improve going on with some of the other martial arts he'd learned over the years coming in. Master stumbled slightly before letting him do his thing compensating for any openings.

The Zabrak on the other hand...well he had a harder time adjusting. It seemed the old saying was true, an amateur was worse then opponent to have if you're a master swordsman. They dueled into what looked like a power room with various pillars carrying energy along with gangplanks with what looked like deactivated gravity catchers and no guardrails...did no one consult a health and safety inspector?

He didn't have time to voice this opinion because now the slimeball was pressing down on them now. Oh no this was going to be a tough time.

"We gotta do something Artoo!" Anakin yelled as he tried various buttons so he could activate the weaponry. He knew that they wanted him safe and he could respect that but he didn't want to be useless or a burden so he had to do something to help at the very least shoot off the droids off of them. Finally he hit one of the bigger buttons that fired up the machine and the engines...oops.

"Oops, wrong button. Maybe this one?" He wondered aloud as he pulled a level which instead closed the canopy. Ah poodoo! This wasn't good. Finally he found the trigger and got his desired response as the lasers fired out and took out the droidekas allowing them to move on...Only now he was flying up and out of the hanger. Aw man this wasn't good. "What's going on Artoo?"

Autopilot came the reply from the droid.

"Well try to override it," Anakin said as he grabbed an helmet and slammed it on his head. Well it looked he was going to help out here after all. Just not the way he expected it would seem. Here I go then.

Ahsoka was worried. Okay scratch that she was terrified. Her brothers told her she would be safe here and Ma Shmi had said the same but something was wrong. She could feel it. It made her want to whimper and cry more so then the mean men on Coruscant. And that was saying something.

"Ahsoka," Shmi called to her looking up from her cooking prep in the kitchen. "It's time to eat something."

"Can't," she said curling into a ball. "Worried."

"About the boys and Padmé?"

"Ah huh."

"Well," she said walking over to where Ahsoka was and gave the Togruta a gentle sidearm hug. "I'm sure they'll be okay."

"Something bad's here," she whispered to her caretaker. "It's dark."

"I know," Shmi shivered. "Something is wrong but-"

"Aw crap, are you frakkin' kiddin' me?!" Another voice barked making Shmi and Ahsoka jump it was a pale being with dreadlocks along with a white being with black hair. Shmi pulled out a blaster that Peter had given her when the Naboo hadn't been looking. The two individuals standing in the entrance way were unprepared when Shmi shot them with a stun blast. One fell while the other quickly took cover and began firing back.

"Ahsoka take cover!" Shmi ordered which the young girl quickly obeyed. She ducked behind a crate and listened as both Shmi and the man exchanged blasts. Suddenly Ahsoka got an idea. She concentrated and thought about the time she made the rock float. She reached out her hand and found a crate. Size doesn't matter kid. Just concentrate. Big brother's advice whispered to her as she took the item and with a mighty huff threw in the direction of the man. There was yelp of surprise and then a blast and thud. Then there was a thudding sound like someone running down the stairs. There was a then a stomp of someone jumping down and then a pause. Ahsoka braces herself for the worst. Help us big brothers. Please.