CHAPTER 4: DUEL OF THE FATES
"Anakin, stay where you are." Qui-Gon ordered. "But I." The boy began to protest. "Stay in that cockpit." Qui-Gon reiterated.
The Queen's entourage headed toward the hanger doors. The plan was to head straight to the throne room, through the hall which lead along the side of the main generator room. No one in their party had activated the door release, yet right in front of their eyes, the doors flung open. To everyone's surprise, there in the hallway was the cloaked being who had attacked Qui-Gon on Tatooine. The man in black stared at them coldly.
"We'll handle this." Qui-Gon said. "We'll take the long way around." The Queen said, very relieved. The mere sight of the dark-figure, sent chills up her spine. She and her servants fled in a hurry. Qui-Gon, Xanatos and the Sith assailant all disrobed and ignited their lightsabers; Qui-Gon and Xanatos each with a flash of green and the Sith with a flash of red from each end.
With a no more than a challenging glance, the Sith had begun the battle without making a move. Xanatos struck first. The boy had always been too eager, even by Qui-Gon's standards. The Sith was outnumbered two to one, but the Jedi were surprised at how seemingly easy it was for him to defend.
They worked him back into the hallway. In the distance, they could hear the sound of blaster fire. The Queen had obviously run into some trouble. Qui-Gon wished he could protect her but he figured that it was better for her to protect herself against a few droids than against a Sith Lord.
Nevertheless, the battle raged on. The Jedi had begun to lead their foe back toward the Power Generator Core Room. Or was he leading them? One could certainly make the argument that the Sith was in control if they were to see how he confidently flung a piece of shattered droid carcass to activate the Core Room doors.
The Jedi were gaining ground however, and at one point trapped their enemy on the edge of a catwalk in the Core Room. The Sith struggled to keep his balance and then seemingly with ease, he did a back-flip onto another platform several meters away. It would have been an impossible jump for anyone else but for two Jedi, the leap was nearly effortless.
The Jedi knew that their foe could not hold off two attackers for much longer. It became apparent that he knew this too when his foot met Xanatos' face, sending the young Jedi to a much lower platform. The attempt to separate the two had worked. And as the Sith looked over his shoulder to make sure the younger Jedi would be out of his way for a while, Qui-Gon caught him of guard.
Qui-Gon's fist met the Sith Lord's face which caused the Sith to fall to another catwalk below. This catwalk had not been quite as low as the one Xanatos had fallen to, in fact it was only a few meters below. Qui-Gon leapt down to try and catch the Sith off guard. It almost worked. The Sith was still on his back when Qui-Gon landed next to him, but a kick to Qui-Gon's gut gave the Sith the opportunity to find his feet once more.
The Jedi Master, attacked with fury, leading the Sith all the way down the catwalk. Qui-Gon knew that with each step he and Xanatos grew further and further apart, but he noticed that the fall had dazed the Sith Lord. Qui- Gon noticed his opponent had lost a step or two and was not as graceful or fluid in his motions. Qui-Gon could not let up. He could not allow the Sith Lord time to recover.
Qui- Gon then sensed that Xanatos had leapt onto the same catwalk he and the enemy were on and had begun to chase after them. Qui-Gon could feel the sentiments that Xanatos was sending, through the force: Qui-Gon, wait! Wait for me! Together we are stronger. Qui-Gon in turn tried to send Xanatos his reasoning, but he could sense that the boy was too wound up to receive his message. The Sith Lord let a sinister grin pass over his lips. Qui-Gon wondered if perhaps he had sensed what Qui-Gon was thinking. Perhaps the Sith had figured out his strategy.
The Jedi Master and the Sith Lord battled all the way down the catwalk and into the service corridor, with Xanatos in hot pursuit. Inside the service corridor, Qui-Gon noticed the laser-walls beginning to activate. He kept tight on the Sith Lord, however, and was barely able to stop himself from running into one of these laser-walls. He stopped short of it however and the Sith was on the other side
Qui-Gon looked back at Xanatos, his former apprentice had been stranded at the very end of the hall. Qui-Gon could sense his frustration and anxiety. Xanatos was young yet, he would learn patience in time. Qui-Gon dropped to his knees to meditate. His objective had failed, the Sith could now easily recoup, but not all was lost. He could still hold off their foe until Xanatos was able to rejoin the fight.
Qui-Gon quieted his mind. His worries left him. The antagonist pacing only a few inches away, seemed to disappear. Qui-Gon was at one with the force. To him, the force was not some mystical thing, but a close friend whom he only needed to ask to obtain it's aid. Qui-Gon called upon his friend, yet again.
When the laser-walls deactivated, Qui-Gon sprang to his feet, his lightsaber already ignited. The Sith met his challenge and the two continued their battle, this time on the edge of the melting pit. Xanatos ran as fast as he could to try and catch up, only to be stopped just short by the final laser-wall. He could only wait, helplessly.
The Sith was now on the offensive. His onslaught continued. He was meticulous in his defense and even more so in his attacks. The two fighters were evenly matched, this contest was one not of skill, or strength, or speed, but of wills. Both knew that the first to make a mistake would be destroyed. Both were flawless, meeting the others every move with one equally grand of their own.
Then, it happened. Qui-Gon made a slip. A simple mistake was all it was. Thinking that the Sith was going to strike at his back, he raised his lightsaber over his head to cover his back. Instead, the Sith knocked Qui- Gon in the face with the hilt of his lightsaber, leaving Qui-Gon momentarily stunned.
It was at that moment that the Sith made what he believed would be his kill- shot. He thrusted one of his blades forward, toward the Jedi's midsection. He expected to run the Jedi through. Instead, his attack was blocked, not by the Jedi but by a third person who had been in the room the entire time and had gone unnoticed.
The third person wielded a red-bladed lightsaber and was adorned in a cloak. The hood of his cloak covered too much of his face to be made out. Qui-Gon shot up, no longer dazed from the strike. He backed off, a bit surprised about the arrival of the third warrior. He couldn't begin to imagine who it would be. But the Sith obviously knew him because he blurted out: "You!.... I should have known."
"Anakin, stay where you are." Qui-Gon ordered. "But I." The boy began to protest. "Stay in that cockpit." Qui-Gon reiterated.
The Queen's entourage headed toward the hanger doors. The plan was to head straight to the throne room, through the hall which lead along the side of the main generator room. No one in their party had activated the door release, yet right in front of their eyes, the doors flung open. To everyone's surprise, there in the hallway was the cloaked being who had attacked Qui-Gon on Tatooine. The man in black stared at them coldly.
"We'll handle this." Qui-Gon said. "We'll take the long way around." The Queen said, very relieved. The mere sight of the dark-figure, sent chills up her spine. She and her servants fled in a hurry. Qui-Gon, Xanatos and the Sith assailant all disrobed and ignited their lightsabers; Qui-Gon and Xanatos each with a flash of green and the Sith with a flash of red from each end.
With a no more than a challenging glance, the Sith had begun the battle without making a move. Xanatos struck first. The boy had always been too eager, even by Qui-Gon's standards. The Sith was outnumbered two to one, but the Jedi were surprised at how seemingly easy it was for him to defend.
They worked him back into the hallway. In the distance, they could hear the sound of blaster fire. The Queen had obviously run into some trouble. Qui-Gon wished he could protect her but he figured that it was better for her to protect herself against a few droids than against a Sith Lord.
Nevertheless, the battle raged on. The Jedi had begun to lead their foe back toward the Power Generator Core Room. Or was he leading them? One could certainly make the argument that the Sith was in control if they were to see how he confidently flung a piece of shattered droid carcass to activate the Core Room doors.
The Jedi were gaining ground however, and at one point trapped their enemy on the edge of a catwalk in the Core Room. The Sith struggled to keep his balance and then seemingly with ease, he did a back-flip onto another platform several meters away. It would have been an impossible jump for anyone else but for two Jedi, the leap was nearly effortless.
The Jedi knew that their foe could not hold off two attackers for much longer. It became apparent that he knew this too when his foot met Xanatos' face, sending the young Jedi to a much lower platform. The attempt to separate the two had worked. And as the Sith looked over his shoulder to make sure the younger Jedi would be out of his way for a while, Qui-Gon caught him of guard.
Qui-Gon's fist met the Sith Lord's face which caused the Sith to fall to another catwalk below. This catwalk had not been quite as low as the one Xanatos had fallen to, in fact it was only a few meters below. Qui-Gon leapt down to try and catch the Sith off guard. It almost worked. The Sith was still on his back when Qui-Gon landed next to him, but a kick to Qui-Gon's gut gave the Sith the opportunity to find his feet once more.
The Jedi Master, attacked with fury, leading the Sith all the way down the catwalk. Qui-Gon knew that with each step he and Xanatos grew further and further apart, but he noticed that the fall had dazed the Sith Lord. Qui- Gon noticed his opponent had lost a step or two and was not as graceful or fluid in his motions. Qui-Gon could not let up. He could not allow the Sith Lord time to recover.
Qui- Gon then sensed that Xanatos had leapt onto the same catwalk he and the enemy were on and had begun to chase after them. Qui-Gon could feel the sentiments that Xanatos was sending, through the force: Qui-Gon, wait! Wait for me! Together we are stronger. Qui-Gon in turn tried to send Xanatos his reasoning, but he could sense that the boy was too wound up to receive his message. The Sith Lord let a sinister grin pass over his lips. Qui-Gon wondered if perhaps he had sensed what Qui-Gon was thinking. Perhaps the Sith had figured out his strategy.
The Jedi Master and the Sith Lord battled all the way down the catwalk and into the service corridor, with Xanatos in hot pursuit. Inside the service corridor, Qui-Gon noticed the laser-walls beginning to activate. He kept tight on the Sith Lord, however, and was barely able to stop himself from running into one of these laser-walls. He stopped short of it however and the Sith was on the other side
Qui-Gon looked back at Xanatos, his former apprentice had been stranded at the very end of the hall. Qui-Gon could sense his frustration and anxiety. Xanatos was young yet, he would learn patience in time. Qui-Gon dropped to his knees to meditate. His objective had failed, the Sith could now easily recoup, but not all was lost. He could still hold off their foe until Xanatos was able to rejoin the fight.
Qui-Gon quieted his mind. His worries left him. The antagonist pacing only a few inches away, seemed to disappear. Qui-Gon was at one with the force. To him, the force was not some mystical thing, but a close friend whom he only needed to ask to obtain it's aid. Qui-Gon called upon his friend, yet again.
When the laser-walls deactivated, Qui-Gon sprang to his feet, his lightsaber already ignited. The Sith met his challenge and the two continued their battle, this time on the edge of the melting pit. Xanatos ran as fast as he could to try and catch up, only to be stopped just short by the final laser-wall. He could only wait, helplessly.
The Sith was now on the offensive. His onslaught continued. He was meticulous in his defense and even more so in his attacks. The two fighters were evenly matched, this contest was one not of skill, or strength, or speed, but of wills. Both knew that the first to make a mistake would be destroyed. Both were flawless, meeting the others every move with one equally grand of their own.
Then, it happened. Qui-Gon made a slip. A simple mistake was all it was. Thinking that the Sith was going to strike at his back, he raised his lightsaber over his head to cover his back. Instead, the Sith knocked Qui- Gon in the face with the hilt of his lightsaber, leaving Qui-Gon momentarily stunned.
It was at that moment that the Sith made what he believed would be his kill- shot. He thrusted one of his blades forward, toward the Jedi's midsection. He expected to run the Jedi through. Instead, his attack was blocked, not by the Jedi but by a third person who had been in the room the entire time and had gone unnoticed.
The third person wielded a red-bladed lightsaber and was adorned in a cloak. The hood of his cloak covered too much of his face to be made out. Qui-Gon shot up, no longer dazed from the strike. He backed off, a bit surprised about the arrival of the third warrior. He couldn't begin to imagine who it would be. But the Sith obviously knew him because he blurted out: "You!.... I should have known."