(unedited)
Later we are together and I watch on as five Gungan generals discuss the battle plan with Padme and the other two Jedi. So far I have found no fault or excess risk to their plans. Padme is the next to speak as Anakin runs up.
"What is the situation?" She looks to Captain Panaka
"Almost everyone's in camps. A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground movement. I brought as many of the leaders as I could. The Federation Army is also much larger than we thought, and much stronger. Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think we can win."
"The battle is a diversion. The Gungans must draw the Droid Army away from the cities. We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a diversion, so that we can enter the palace and capture the Viceroy. Without the Viceroy, they will be lost and confused. What do you think, Master Jedi?" Qui Gon thinks for a moment. Taking his time before replying.
"The Viceroy will be well guarded."
"The difficulty's getting into the throne room. Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem." Captain Tanaka countered.
"There is a possibility with this diversion many Gungans will be killed."
"Wesa ready to do are-sa part." Boss Nass with strong pride counters the second objection by Qui Gon. Several of the others show various emotions from interest to one being very worried. The Queen also looks for other objections.
"We have a plan which should immobilize the Droid Army. We will send what pilots we have to knock out the Droid control ship which is orbiting the planet. If we can get past their ray shields, we can sever communication and their droids will be helpless."
"A well-conceived plan. However, there's great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields on the control ship." Counter three from Qui Gon and a critical point.
"And there's an even bigger danger. If the Viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army." I smile as the Padawan finally adds to the conversation.
"That is why we must not fail to get to the Viceroy. Everything depends on it."
"Do you have anything to add, Master Kimble?"
"Your plan is solid and the area picked for the battle takes full advantage of the terrain. The mission depends on the capture of the Viceroy and disabling of the ship in orbit. I will join the squadron's mission if there is an extra fighter. My experience would help on the battlefield more. However, as it is a diversion to pull their Forces out of the city, I don't feel I would be needed to be apart either of the other missions."
"Then let us move to the break down of each plan. I will have my troops..." The Gungan general continued as I moved away. My full attention was not needed any more as I focused more on the Force. I was not a user of battle meditation, but over time you can get a good feel of the morale of your troops. Confidence was there, mixed in with the nervousness of facing the unknown. They had been in battle before. These were not untested troops. I felt more assured that the battle would go well.
Move, deflect while the soldiers fired back or burst forward to crush the droids as I landed. The group followed behind as we entered the hanger. Again more droids enter only to be cut down by their own fire.
"Get to your ships!" Is heard above the din of battle. The droids are still coming in at a steady rate only to be mowed down by their own fire or that coming from the queen and her handmaidens. The pilots and droids rush to their ships. Two lift off but only one makes it past the exit as the other is shot from below. The wave of droids suddenly end as another set of fighters leave much faster than the first two. More troops rush in from behind us finishing of the last of the droids.
"My guess is the Viceroy is in the throne room." I hear Padme call out and Qui Gon reply.
"I agree." They begin to move for the exit as I start to climb the side of a fighter only to find Anakin sitting in it. He does not notice me.
"Hey! Wait for me."
"No, Annie, you stay there. Stay right where you are."
"But, I..." He took the words out of my mouth as I needed this fighter. I doubted I could get the other fighter in the air without, no wait it had an R2 unit I notice as I felt the Dark Side grow suddenly. My eyes jerk up to see a red and black tattooed Zabrak enter the hanger while the others backed away. The two Jedi move forward and I get a chill that this will not end well. In unison the three remove their capes as their lightsabers ignite. The Sith is wielding a dual lightsaber yet I do not feel the Dark Side of the Force building in preparation of a kinetic attack or another Force attack.
They start to fight each other as the fighter I had just left comes to life as another group of droids enter. I could join the fighters later and burst forward to join the battle. As I move closer their blades are finally moving in near blurs as the Sith is almost a red glowing sphere. I notice they fight well together, but feel that they are slower than the Sith and this does not bode well as I slam down in front of the Sith breaking his momentum as he jumps away. My cyan silver blade comes free of the floor as I leap after him. Then I am Fully in tune with the Force as our blades clash. I feel the Sith grinning as his hate rises. His confidence and arrogance fueling his battle as he fends off the attacks of three Jedi at once.
The battle moved rapidly from the hanger and into the power generator area expanding the terrain that was available to fight in and the Sith used to his advantage jumping from catwalk to catwalk trying to separate us to take one of us down. Our spheres of light darted from one catwalk to another sometimes several in a row to a point where we were all separated and no longer engaged. The Sith then laughs as he puts on a burst of speed to get to a tunnel to go further into the power works. I draw heavily on the Force as I feel the others do as well and I barely make it to the entrance as the Sith enters it. Qui Gon lands right behind me as we both leave Obi Wan far behind.
"No that way is death!" I yell as I draw on the Force. The Sith was several meters down the hall as he suddenly jerked to a stop. I smiled as I felt my grasp take hold and I pulled with the Force and he flew against his will back at us. The shields suddenly activated forcing me to drop him and his blade barely prevented him from slamming into the shield.
"You can't run Sith!"
"I am Darth Maul and I will cut you all down. The boy is weak and the old man is weaker. You are the only challenge here. A surprise my Master did not warn me about."
"Who is your master?"
"I'll never tell." The shields dropped as I burst forward. Maul had the same idea and I could not grasp him again. Against the urging from the Force I raced after him. Qui Gon and Obi Wan followed but were not as fast. Several more times we were caught by the shields. Never in the same one together, but I could feel the ending coming soon. Maul paced back and forth expending his energy in the Force. Trying to invade my defenses as I did the same to him. He was well trained and blocked my attempts even as I drew the Light Side to me and began to glow from the effort.
"The end is right there. You will fall by my blade."
"You are not strong enough. Weak. Blinded. I will wound you and make you watch as I dismember the old human and his useless servant."
"I fought the Sith Emperor, Tenebrae. You are nothing." I smiled as I felt his confusion that bled into his hate diluting it just enough for a part of him to doubt. That doubt gave rise to a slight hint of fear. I let my helm retract as I wanted him to see my smile. That fear spiked and it was just enough of a distraction. My hands pushed out the disturbance I had created and it hit him just as the shield vanished. His body flew back and slammed into the wall of the shaft of the dead end. Qui Gon and Obi Wan flew passed me into the chamber as Darth Maul peels off the wall. He looks up as his body continues moving forward, but only his blade comes up blocking the strikes of the two Jedi as they plant their feet on the wall he slammed into, before pitching over into the shaft. The two Jedi look over the edge as he falls.
"Step back!" I yell feeling the Dark Side suddenly spike and a red blade flashes up. Qui Gon gasps as the blade enters his body.
"No!" Obi Wan screams as he catches his master. I rush over to his side helping Obi Wan settle Qui Gon to the floor.
"It is too late, it's..."
"No!"
"Obi Wan promise, me you'll, train the boy..."
"Yes, master..."
"He is the chosen one, he will, bring, balance, train him!"
"Not Yet you don't." I injected him with bacta and several stims as I pored the Force into him and his wound. I felt his spirit lift and then get pulled back as his heart mended. I pulled in more energy and urged Obi Wan to help me and I could feel his desire to help. Far below a broken and bleeding Sith is found by a lone spider droid thinking that the body was waste it immediately attached to Maul and dragged him away.
It is during the time that I am desperately trying to heal the old jedi that I felt a shift as a boy whooped in triumph. I had no idea what had happened but the entire feel of the planet changed.
Several of the fighters land and the pilot climb out in confusion. They look around at each other as the leader makes a head count.
"We're all accounted for. Who flew that ship? I know the Jedi didn't join us." The cockpit opens and Anakin stands up looking like he was going to be punished.
"I am not going to get into trouble, am I." Artoo beeps sounding much like 'oh oh.' The pilots cheer as the y rush over and drag Anakin out of the fighter. Their celebration is cut short as some yells.
"Look the Jedi!" They all look to see Obi Wan and Aliora levitating the form of Qui Gon Jinn. Most rush over as one goes to find a medical kit.
"Master Qui Gon!"
"Easy Anakin. He is seriously injured."
"He is not going to die is he."
"It will be close. We need to get him in a bacta tank. You there. Take this."
"What is it?"
"It is my comlink. Get to the communications tower. Tell the droid C2 to bring my ship here. I have a military grade tank on the ship."
"The medical wing of the palace has one and your ship will take too long to get here."
"Then lead the way." They did and we followed Anakin in tears the entire way. Qui Gon did not look good, but there was only so much I could do. Cort Hintal would have done much better as this was his specialty, healing the wounded and I could still feel his touch on my stomach. If it was not for him I would lost several organs. There was no medical staff as we entered the facility, but two droids came online with the lights.
"State the nature of your emergency?"
"Severe burn trauma to the torso. Possible extensive damage around the heart."
"We need to make several scans. Move the patient to this bed and remove all of this beings clothing." It was one of the hardest things to do when someone is injured to remove the clothing that is in the way even levitating his body did not make it easy for Obi Wan to remove his master's robes. Still, it went quickly and the droids made their scans. As I was relieved of keeping him in the air I could better focus on keeping the wounds around his heart closed and him alive. The droids worked without pause for several hours and finally closed Qui Gon's chest back up and moments later to be slowly eased into the Bacta tank.
It is several days before I finally feel the Force shifting around Qui Gon Jinn. The droids continued to state their bafflement at the old man's continued survival. His heart had been pierced by Darth Maul's blade and he should have died many times over. Had I done nothing, than that very well would have been the case. However, they still had to replace his heart with a mechanical. They could later operate again to replace the mechanical with a cloned heart. This was the one thing that baffled me before finally being able to sleep. Unable to heal through the Force, but they could clone organs. Obi Wan barely left his masters side and that left Anakin on his own though as I found him he was well attended. Four of the handmaidens were giggling as he told some exciting story as I walked in. His voice left him as he saw me before rushing over.
"Aliora how is Master Qui Gon? Is he awake?"
"He is still in the bacta tank. They had to operate again, but he will recover."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes the Force has shown me."
"I wish I could be a Jedi, so I could know that too."
"My offer still stands."
"It does, but..."
"I will talk to the council. If they can not convince me that you should not be trained after I tell them who my first Padawan was then, that will be it. I will go find your mother and free her, so that you can be together."
"Promise?"
"Consider it already done. Now go back to telling your story. It sounds exciting." Anakin rushed back to the group as another presence came along side of me.
Several days later a ship lands and the emblems on the ship state that it can only be the Supreme Chancellor. I watch from the position I am in as the troops stiffen a bit to show their order. The Queen faces Nute Gunray.
"Now Viceroy, you are going to have explain this all to the Senate. I doubt they will refer your actions to a committee."
"You can kiss your Trade Federation goodbye." No more is said as the ramp desends and Obi Wan and Captain Panaka lead the Viceroy and his assistant towards the ship. Grand Chancellor Palpatine and his guards flanking him walk down the ramp Followed by Master Yoda and several others masters.
"Congratulations on your election, Chancellor. It is so good to see you again."
"It is good to be home. Your boldness has saved our people, your Majesty. It is you who should be congratulated. Together we will bring peace and prosperity to the Republic." I watched as he than talked a bit quieter that only those close could hear. Obi Wan greeted Master Yoda and talks to him looking in my direction for a moment. Anakin stood next to me and I felt it had more to do with him than me. Captain Panaka takes the prisoners into the ship which I felt was somehow odd. Looking back to the new Chancellor I did not like how he felt in the Force and I shivered as he looked at me. I had a feeling about him, something familiar.
Much later I witnessed a promotion as Obi Wan's braid is cut from his hair as he is kneeling in front of the masters. It had been a long day and I was glad to have escaped with Anakin and allowed him to meet up with a group of local children. He laughed and played and marveled at the fountains on the edge of the playground. However, this was one ceremony I was not going to avoid. Master Yoda paced a bit then centered himself on Obi Wan.
"Confer on you, the rank of Jedi Knight the council does, but agree on you taking this boy as your padawan learner, I do not."
"Qui Gon Believes in him. I believe in Qui Gon."
"The Chosen One the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger, I fear in his training." I snorted breaking off the start of the argument that Obi Wan must have been forming in his mind.
"Objection you have, Lady Kimble?"
"Since this is a formal situation my out burst was uncalled for, but I do have an objection and an observation. One, I agree that Obi Wan Kenobi is not ready to take on a Padawan at this time. He has nearly lost his master and there is some time before he can heal. His focus will be on Master Qui Gon."
"Those are things we have considered, but I do not think that is why you so openly professed your derision."
"No it was not. This brings me to my second point. I will train Anakin. I do not have a Padawan and have not had one in some time. I do not fear to train him." I had my full focus on Master Yoda. He knew I meant him.
"A Jedi you are not Lady Kimble. Accept your return to the Order we have not."
"I am Master Aliora Kimble. Battlemaster of the Jedi Order, Paladin of House Organa, Hero of Tython, Savior of the Republic. I was on the High Council beside Grand Master Satele and I have never relinquished my duties or responsibilities."
"This is the reaction we expected from you. We have reviewed our records and found that you would be a disturbance to the entire Order." I glared at Master Ki-Adi-Mundi. "Your records have shown that you even fell to the dark side. You even trained a Sith."
"I was not finished. I accept your decision to prevent me from rejoining the Jedi Order. Know this. I am the only one who has ever faced a True Dark Lord of the Sith in battle."
"Defeated the Sith you have, that we thank you."
"Always two there are. No more, no less. A master and an Apprentice."
"The one we faced was strong, but a tool, an assassin."
"That he nearly bested all three of you shows he was no tool."
"The Sith will not escape now that we know who he is. His ship is in our custody. It will lead us to his master."
"Then I have nothing more I am willing to say."
"Your lightsaber." As with Meetra Surik I activated the blade I had with me and having no stone to drive it in I drove it into the ground. Cracks radiated outward from the strike. I spun and walked away feeling their surprise and and anger. Though two felt concern, and one fear. As I moved out of the room the blade sank into the floor. I could feel that they suddenly scrambled to retrieve the lightsaber. I flicked my hand and pushed down. This sent the saber even farther into the ground under the building and not one of them would be able to retrieve it before it destroyed itself.
"See I told you she was dangerous. She is probably in league with the Sith. Have you seen her droid? An HK series, an assassination and combat droid."
"The dark side surrounds her, has tainted her sure, but she still walks in the light."
"Discuss this we must. Distracted we are, her purpose, take Anakin she has." The five jedi rush out as fast as they can, but are too late as they see the Jedi Defender Corvette fly away. They look around before then rushing off to talk to the space control of the system. Obi Wan stays and watches the ship as it fades out of sight.
