Interlude I (Part 5): Duel of the Fates

32 BBY

Naboo

The next day, the Naboo starship exits out of hyperspace near one of Naboo's moons to avoid running into the Trade Federation blockade that orbits the planet. When the planet came onto the ship's sensors, however, the blockade is no longer there except for one Federation ship that is used to control the battle droids currently on the planet's surface. After the ship landed in the swamps outside of the capital city of Theed and already low on options of freeing Naboo, Queen Amidala requests Jar Jar Binks's help in having an audience with the Bosses of the Gungan people as she wishes to form an alliance to save their homeworld and each other's people from Federation's occupation. Jar Jar did as she asked and soon returned to her and the Jedi, revealing that the whole underwater Gungan city has been deserted recently. Luckily, the clumsy Gungan knows where the rest of his people are and took his newfound friends to the ancient Naboo ruins.

When they arrived, plot twist came in effect! One of the handmaidens in combat uniform, Padme, reveals herself to be the real Queen Amidala and the one in her royal combat attire is her double (decoy, if you will). And after some convincing and desperate words for help, the head of the Gungan Bosses - Boss Nass - accepts, forming a united alliance between the Naboo and the Gungans.

Now having a common enemy and the advising support of the Jedi, Padme and Nass formulated a plan on how to capture the Neimoidian Nute Gunray (Viceroy of the Trade Federation) and end the upcoming battle quickly. The battle is a diversion that'll lure away most of the droid army at Theed, in which the Gungans are willing to do their part in keeping the droids busy with their own army as the Naboo lacks a military. While the droids are busy, the queen and her resistance fighters will then secure the city's hangar from any droid resistance and get whatever pilots they have left to their starfighters so they can destroy the control ship that's orbiting their planet. Once that's happening, the rest of her allies will then infiltrate her palace and capture Gunray, freeing their homeworld and ending the battle. However, the Jedi see a small flaw in Padme's plan and concluded that she'll only get one chance at this because should Gunray escape - whether their ships can get past the droid control ship's defenses and destroy the ship or not - he'll return with another droid army in greater numbers.

...

Some time later...

After their ships left the hangar, the queen and her allies regroup and planned their move to infiltrate the palace as Gunray is in the throne room. They make for the exit, but as the door opens a hooded figure has been waiting for them, more particularly the two Jedi with Padme.

[Duel of the Fates (Film Version) - The Phantom Menace OST plays]

"Shit, it's that guy from Tatooine." Theron curses as he and his friend watch on the sidelines. "Not good."

"Who's that? He's all covered in tattoos." Saten asks, a little jumpy of the hooded man's face.

"That's the Sith Lord that Qui-Gon was talking about earlier with the council." He answers. "And I think he's about to duel against Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan."

"We'll handle this." Qui-Gon says to the queen.

"We'll take the long way." Padme informs as she and her group head for the exit on the other side of the hangar.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan walk up to the Sith as the latter takes of his hood, revealing his Zabrak horns on his head.

"And he has horns on his head." Saten sarcastically comments, now a little creep out by his full appearance.

The three Force users remove their robes over their tunics and the Sith warrior takes out his double-bladed lightsaber hilt, igniting two red blades on each side and gets in a fighting stance using one hand. The Jedi then ignited their own lightsabers and get in their own respective stances. The Sith Lord known as Darth Maul twirls his saberstaff and makes his first move. Obi-Wan then jumps over him with a flip, blocking the attack and lands behind him. He then swings his blade at him but the Sith blocks it without looking back at him and both the Padawan and Qui-Gon simultaneously fight their enemy across the hangar.

Meanwhile, Padme and her group are blocked by three droidekas with their bubble shields up, pinning the group down. Luckily, the last remaining Naboo fighter quickly took the droids out and flew out of the hangar as Padme's group exit the hangar and make their way to the palace.

"Wait, was that Anakin piloting that ship?!" Saten questions in disbelief as they saw the ship left the hangar.

"Yes. Yes it was."

"Should we be worried?! He's still a kid!"

"He'll be fine. R2's with him, right? I'm sure Anakin will make it back alive in one piece."

The two teens then turn their attention back to the duel as the Jedi are overwhelming the Sith warrior. Maul simultaneously blocks their blades and kicks down Qui-Gon before breaking off and performs an acrobatic spin, evading another deadly swing from Obi-Wan's blue blade.

Backing up, Maul then Force throws a battle droid's head into a door control panel, opening the door into the hangar's power generator complex (that powers Theed with plasma and is used as an export product for the interstellar plasma energy market). With a twirl of his lightsaber as he walks up to the Sith, Obi-Wan attacks and the two parry each other before Qui-Gon rejoins the fight and helps his Padawan out as they enter the complex.

Maul then kicks Obi-Wan in the face, knocking the young man down, and the Sith performs a flip away from his opponents. The Jedi eventually corners him on a small circular platform, but Maul back flips onto a bridge on the main floor of the complex. Obi-Wan performs a front flip while Qui-Gon just hops across, following the Sith who then blocks their simultaneous strike with one of his red blades.

"Something tells me that I'm enjoying this fight for some reason." Theron comments.

"You got that right. The way that horned guy was performing acrobatics, that's so cool!" Saten agrees with excitement in her voice. "Maybe I should learn how to do that with the Force."

"I'm sure you will, Saten. I'll be happy to teach you how."

"Thanks."

The girl looks over the edge of the huge complex and sees that it's a long way down from where they're standing.

"This power plant is nothing compared to the ones Academy City has." She whistles in awe while feeling nervous of the huge drop beneath their feet.

"Well Academy City has never thought of using plasma as a renewable source of power." The boy points out.

"True, true." She casually nods. "Still, I don't know why there are no railings to prevent people from falling off so easily."

"No idea." He shrugs.

The duel of the fates continues above the spectral teens as the Jedi and Sith fight on another catwalk. However, Obi-Wan's blade is caught in a saberlock and Maul... kicks him in the face again, knocking him off the said catwalk and hangs on the ledge of another platform that's right below the teens. Maul lowers his guard and Qui-Gon backhands him in the face, knocking him off as well, and the Sith Lord lands hard on the main catwalk. Qui-Gon jumps down and lands beside him, already going for the killing blow.

However, Maul kicks him in the face and quickly recovers, going on the defensive with his saberstaff as the Jedi Master continues to push him deeper into the complex. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan pulls himself up onto the platform and picks up his lightsaber before seeing his master pushing the Sith warrior deeper into the complex. He then Force jumps back onto the main catwalk, reigniting his lightsaber, and uses Force sprint to catch up and rejoin the fight with Qui-Gon.

"There's no way Qui-Gon can take him on alone." Theron points out with concern. "Obi-Wan needs to get back in the fight and help him."

"But Theron, Qui-Gon's winning." Saten argues. "He's pushing the Sith warrior deep in this complex."

"You haven't seen this guy in action, Saten!" He talks back. "Qui-Gon almost died on Tatooine when they were trying to escape from him. You shouldn't overestimate a Jedi's power. We're not invincible, remember? I got my ass handed to me by the Second Brother."

"I know." She sadly acknowledges, recalling the event three days prior. "But it's clear that Qui-Gon's winning."

"No." He says, fearing of what's going to happen soon. "Something's not right here. It's too easy."

The six laser gates deactivated when Qui-Gon and Maul continue to trade parries against each other. Just as they reach the end of the sixth gate, the Sith Lord is cut off from the Jedi Master and is stuck between gates five and six.

Qui-Gon notices this as he is stuck between gates four and five, and turns off his lightsaber just as the laser gates turn back on. Obi-Wan runs as fast as he could be the first gate turns on last, preventing him from catching up to his master. Maul looks at the red laser gate that's blocking the Jedi Master and hits it before turning off his saberstaff.

As for the Padawan, he realizes that the duel has stopped and turns off his own saber and patiently wait for the gates to turn off and rejoins his master's side. As Qui-Gon is on one knee meditating with the Force, Maul paces back and forth impatiently, smiling that he'll have his prey as soon as those gates turn off.

"He's like a predator." The girl comments nervously.

"And yet, he's impatient on killing our fellow Jedi Master." The boy mutters aloud for Saten to hear.

Less than five minutes go by as Maul continues to pace back and forth. Obi-Wan senses the gates about to be turned off and he reignites his saber, getting in his Form IV stance. The gates turn off and Qui-Gon stops meditating and takes out his saber against the Sith with his own reignited weapon, and the duel resumes entering a circular room where a deep hole is in the center that's used as a melting pit located many levels beneath them. Soon the gate blocking the Padawan's way shuts off and he sprints toward the fight, only for the last gate that leads into the room turns back on and he watches as his master is being pushed back by the dark warrior.

"Qui-Gon's getting pushed back..." Saten says as her eyes widen, her heart beating in fear like Theron's after following Ob-Wan.

The Jedi Master is getting tired as the Sith Lord continues to strike while the former continues to block. And suddenly, Maul uses his hilt to hit Qui-Gon in the chin, stunning him as his lightsaber drops to the floor and the green blade extinguishes. Now seeing an opening, Maul impales him through Qui-Gon's heart.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Obi-Wan shouts as his master has been struck down in front of his own eyes.

"No!" Theron/Saten exclaimed with disbelief and sadness in their eyes.

Qui-Gon drops to his knees after Maul pulled his saberstaff's red blade out of the former's chest, and he collapses onto the floor, severely injured. Maul then quickly turns around and gets in a defensive stance as he now preys on Obi-Wan. Seeing that his master has fallen, he looks at the Sith Lord with anger on his face. After a few minutes of waiting, the two ignite their sabers with Obi-Wan being more jumpy to avenge his master, and the last of the six red laser gates go down. Obi-Wan rushes in head on and Maul attempts to draw him in as their blades clash with one another, parrying with each blow they come across. After a few parries from each other, the two then back away from each other and Maul makes a move on him. Maul then tries to sweep the Padawan's feet off with his saber staff but the latter jumps over it and continues to go onto the offensive, cornering the Sith warrior.

Seeing an opening, the Padawan slices the double bladed saber in half as the right half flies out of Maul's right hand spinning into a wall and explodes, leaving a trail of smoke. Maul uses his remaining half of his lightsaber to block an attack from him as Obi-Wan performs a double flip and lands behind him. Maul jumps back up in a crouched stance and quickly runs away from the Padawan's next swing, slicing part of the Sith's black drapes that's from his black tunic.

Maul then parties four strikes from Obi Wan and kicks him in the face for a third time, causing the latter to backflip and land on his feet.

"How many times is this guy gonna keep kicking him in the face?!" Saten rants, starting to get annoyed by that cheap move the Sith Lord pulled on the Padawan.

The two clash blades and Maul does an acrobatic flip, landing successfully. Now done toying with him, Maul attacks him and both parry each other's blades before going into a saber lock. Obi-Wan grits his teeth in anger, but Maul breaks their lock and Force pushes the Padawan across the floor, who then falls into the reactor shaft.

"No!" The teens exclaimed before running up to the edge of the pit and sees Obi-Wan still hanging on a nozzle, relieving them.

"Thank god." Saten sighs in relief.

"Too close." Theron agrees.

Luckily, Obi-Wan was able to grab onto one of the bottomless pit's nozzles, holding on for dear life. Maul walks up to the edge and notices the Padawan's lightsaber hilt. He then kicks it into the pit, and Obi-Wan sees his own saber falling into the bottomless shaft.

"No..." Saten says in horror, covering her mouth.

"Damn it." Theron curses aloud. "He has the high ground and Obi-Wan can't hold onto that nozzle forever."

Maul then slashes the edges with his lightsaber, gloating in victory while Obi-Wan barely struggles to hold on when the sparks nearly caused him to let go. Maul looks down and sees his enemy still barely holding on, and the Sith Warrior believes he has won. Obi-Wan then notices his master's lightsaber and realizes that the Sith hadn't got rid of it. Obi-Wan looks up at Maul who is wondering what he's up to.

Obi-Wan calms himself and summons the hilt with the Force that starts slowly moving and he jumps upward. The hilt quickly flies into his hand, igniting the green blade as he jumps over a shocked and startled Maul (who didn't stop him since everything happened so fast) and lands in front of the Sith before swiftly slashing through his torso, a mist of red came out of the Sith as his eyes widen in shock and confusion.

"I don't believe it!" He says with a surprised expression. "He just lowered his guard and Obi-Wan just got out of there and killed him. A weak Jedi has just killed a Sith Lord more powerful than him."

"You said it, Theron!" She agrees with the same expression as his. "Was it because of skill?"

"No." He shakes his head. "Luck."

Maul loses his balance and falls on his back as he falls into the deep shaft. His body flips over and his lower half falls off of him (the drapes around his legs fall off in the process) as Maul's upper body hits the shaft's wall and continues to fall deeper and out of sight.

"See you next fall!" Theron tauntingly waves at the fallen Sith Lord, earning a sweat drop from Saten.

Believing that the Sith is dead, Obi-Wan deactivates his master's lightsaber and run towards the severely injured Qui-Gon. He then crouches on the floor beside his master and holds him in his arms.

"It's too late. It's-"

"No!" Obi-Wan says, refusing to let his master die.

"Obi Wan... promise me... promise me you will train the boy."

"Yes master." He sadly nods.

"He is the Chosen One... he... will bring balance..." The dying Jedi Master utters his final words to his Padawan. "Train him."

Obi Wan nods with tears in his eyes as his master looks at him one last time before taking one last breath, and closes his eyes. The Padawan then cradles his late master, grieving for the father figure he has looked up to for years. And so, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn... is gone.

The boy and girl looks on in shock and sadness as tears fall down their faces, ready to break down.

"He's gone. Just like that and he's gone." Theron says as he experiences PTSD from his past.

"Theron?" Saten asks.

"Qui-Gon. He reminds me so much of my master that I looked up to. And now, it's like I'm watching it happening again."

Saten then sees him quietly break down and she looks on at the dead Jedi. For the first time in her life, whether it is a vision of the past or in real life, she has witness someone killed in front of her own eyes. She then holds Theron's hand and hugs him, comforting him as they grieve for a fallen Jedi that they just begun to admire and respect together.

To be continued...