Part 31: Duel Of The Fates (Part Four)
Arnold was ready for the Sith Lord's attack.
In an instant, he activated his own lightsaber, its blue blade came to life just as he ducked under a swing by Darth Curly. Then he used both lightsabers to try to unbalance Darth Curly, who parried with both sides of his own duel-sided blade. He blocked with his own blue blade in one hand and swung at his enemy with Stinky's green blade in the other.
Watching all of this from the shuttle, Commander Nadine pulled her lazer blaster from its holdster and aimed it at Arnold, but Rhonda's hand caught the weapon.
"Wait a moment Nadine, if we take off now, we wont have to take orders from that maniac anymore and when the ship blows and destroys the Republic's soldiers, then we can take over the Galaxy ourselves!" Viceroy Rhonda smiled at the boldness of her plan.
Nadine blinked then smiled and put her weapon away. Together the two double-crossers began to prepare the shuttle for departure.
Outside, things were definately going the good guy's way.
Sid 3 PO, Li-la Binks, Grandpa Phil and the others all managed to find their way to a armored land cruiser commanded by General Park of the Republic's Army. They informed him of the situation inside and he responded by not opening fire on the battleship for fear of harming their own. Instead, the destruction of the Trade Federation's battle droids on the planet was going on as they inched their way closer.
General Park nodded, "Finally, all of the battle droids have been driven from the area around the battleship!" He turned to look at them. "I hope that the Jedi and the Senator are ok?"
"We are now!"
Everyone turned to see Master Phoebe dragging along Emperor Olga and Harold Fett while Big Bob set Helga down where some med robots began to help bandage her leg.
"Senator Helga!" Li-la Binks shouted and ran over hugging Helga, who looked very annoyed by the attention she was getting from the annoying gungan. "You're alive! You're ever-so alive!"
Helga shoved her off. "Oh quit slobbering all over me, sheesh!" Still she did sort-of smile a little.
General Park walked over, "Senator, Master Phoebe? Are you to ok?"
"A little worse for wear, but otherwise ok, General. Is the field secure?" Helga asked, the voice of authority again.
"Yes, we have destroyed all but a small pocket of the droids, who retreated back into the ship."
Helga nodded, "Very good, hold them there, but do not fire onto the ship, there are still two Jedi knights in there."
One of them is the boy I love, she thought but didn't add.
General Park nodded then looked at the prisoners and frowned. "Take them into custody!" He ordered a pair of white-clad troopers. They took Helga's evil sister and the Bounty Hunter away for the moment.
As the med robots began to take care of Helga's leg, she closed her eyes and felt out in the Force towards the ship. She could sense that Arnold was there, fighting hard. She also felt Darth Curly's presence as well, also in a desperate fight.
Please come back to me, Arnold my love, Helga thought out to him in a silent prayer.
Back in the shuttle bay, Arnold and Darth Curly were fighting hard, both seemingly equally matched at the moment.
Darth Curly gritted his teeth as their blades connected again, he swung the other end of the lightsaber against Arnold's legs. Arnold's blue lightsaber blocked it and he used the other end to swipe at the Sith Lord who ducked and backed away. Arnold felt it as Darth Curly sent some spare parts at him through the Force. Arnold deflected as many of these as he could, but a few pelted his back and arms. Darth Curly swung his lightsaber and cut the tip off of Arnold's blue lightsaber, rendering it useless and Arnold back to one weapon, Stinky's old lightsaber.
Arnold tossed the piece of his lightsaber at the evil Darth Curly and swung the other lightsaber at him. A green blur passed in front of him and connected with one end of the red blur. The other end went towards Arnold's head and he ducked down, but not before feeling the heat of the lightsaber pass just by his left ear. He rolled a little ways and back up slightly, the lightsaber in front of him.
"You should not have come after me, Skywalker!" Darth Curly said, gloating as he stepped forward. "Do you realize now how foolish it is to face me?"
Arnold used the Force to send more machinery parts at the Sith Lord, who blocked most of these effortlessly. However, it did distract him long enough for Arnold to slash at Darth Curly's lightsaber, cutting it in two, one side flickered uselessly and died. Arnold kicked him hard in the stomach. Darth Curly fell back, then flipped and stood up again. The odds were not even.
Even this did not seem to seriously bother Darth Curly. "I don't need two blades to finish you off, Jedi!"
Arnold lunged and locked blades with his enemy. Darth Curly pushed him off with his strength and slashed, cutting a slash in Arnold's robe front, but not touching the skin missing by very little. He backed over and was almost near a large drop shaft that ran to the reactor below.
Gerald came running up, guided by the strong feeling in the Force and by the sounds of a lightsaber duel. He turned the corner and saw, at the end of the hallway through a pair of large double doors, Arnold and Darth Curly circling each other and slashing with fast speeds with their lightsabers and their feet at one another. He ran...
Darth Curly felt his old master's presence and saw him out of the corner of his eye. That was all he need just then. Despite his words, Arnold was indeed holding his own. The duel with Helga weakened him more than he realized and he needed time to get away and regroup. He used the Force to send a peice of broken machinery towards the door controls. The doorway began to close and shut just before Gerald could get to it.
Arnold glanced over to see this, and that was all the distraction that Darth Curly needed. He connected blades with Arnold and shoved with his body, knocking the Padawan off-balance. Then he summoned the Force to knock Arnold backwards. The lightsaber flew from his hand and rolled behind Curly, while the short Jedi fell backwards into the pit.
Arnold managed to grab hold of a pipe that fed waste into the pit about a foot from the bottom of the edge. His hands were barely the size to hold onto it and there was no other surface that Arnold could either grab hold of or put his feet down. Panic was setting in.
He looked up and into the triumphant face of Darth Curly who laughed.
Outside, Helga shut her eyes tightly as she felt the fear and the anxiety from Arnold. "Arnold!" She shouted, the fear clear in her voice.
Phoebe nodded, feeling it too, hoping that whatever was wrong could be fixed.
Crawling along in the corridors towards the bridge of the battleship, Master Gertie paused and felt Arnold's distress. She hoped also that there was a way...
Gerald Windu, who was closer to Arnold that the others, felt his friend's fear and quickly sprung into action. He activated his lightsaber and thrust the blade into the door cut in open. It was taking too long....
Darth Curly looked over to see a hole was being cut into the door. He could see that it would take about two minutes for Gerald to cut through. He smiled. More than enough time. He looked back down into the pit and said, mockingly, "Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging around." He laughed at his own wit and brought the red blade of his lightsaber over and slashed at the edge of the pit, sending sparks down on Arnold.
Arnold closed his eyes. He could feel Helga's fear for him, her calling out his name....
Helga, I'm sorry, he thought to himself. I wanted to show you how much I truly love you. Forgive me.
He knew that it was over.
Then, when all hope was seemingly lost, a voice spoke up that only Arnold could hear.
The voice of Master Stinky Kenobi said, Use the Force, Arnold!
Arnold blinked, "Stinky? Is that you?"
Let go, Arnold. Think about what must be done and trust your instincts. The disembodied voice said. Arnold, Trust me.
"Muttering a little prayer before you die?" Darth Curly said, with an evil smile on his face. "Well then, time for you to join Master Kenobi with your weak side of the Force!" Now he raised his lightsaber over his head, ready to strike down the young padawan.
Arnold closed his eyes again and concentrated on his situation.
Through the Force, he could see Stinky's lightsaber, laying on the floor behind Darth Curly. He saw himself spring out of the hole...
"Now die Jedi!" Darth Curly spat as he began to swing.
It all happened in a matter of two seconds...
As Darth Curly swung, Arnold called upon the Force to propel him from the pit. He missed the red blade of the lightsaber by inches as he shot up. At the same instant, Stinky's lightsaber flew into Arnold's hand as he began a mid-air summersalt. It activated while Arnold was upside down and Arnold, acting on pure instinct swung once, then he landed just behind Darth Curly on his feet, dropping to one knee.
Arnold gasped for air and stood, turning to face the Sith Lord.
Darth Curly turned to look at Arnold, a surprised look was evident on his face. His mouth was opened slightly and he dropped his lightsaber on the floor. It clanked and deactivated.
For an long instint, Arnold looked on in pity and sympathy to Darth Curly, who devoted his whole existence to power and the dark nature of the universe. Unlike Stinky, who used his life to help people and serve the good side of The Force, Darth Curly would have no other existence beyond this one. Such was the ultimate fate for those who serve the Dark Side.
Despite their fight and their natures against one another, Arnold had not hated Darth Curly and took no pleasure in what he'd done.
Darth Curly, Dark Lord of the Sith and former Jedi Padawan looked at him, an incrudious look plastered on his face, and muttered his very last words. "Nice shot."
Then he began to fall backwards into the pit, head first...followed a few moments later by the rest of him.
Arnold dropped to his knees and deactivated Stinky's lightsaber...now his own and looked at it.
Remember Arnold, the Force will be with you, always...and so will I, Stinky's voice said.
Arnold lowered his head and held the handle of the lightsaber to his head and muttered, "Thank you, Master Stinky. I will never forget you."
To be Continued....
Yah! Just one more chapter then the finalle! I cant wait! Stay tuned! D.R.
Arnold was ready for the Sith Lord's attack.
In an instant, he activated his own lightsaber, its blue blade came to life just as he ducked under a swing by Darth Curly. Then he used both lightsabers to try to unbalance Darth Curly, who parried with both sides of his own duel-sided blade. He blocked with his own blue blade in one hand and swung at his enemy with Stinky's green blade in the other.
Watching all of this from the shuttle, Commander Nadine pulled her lazer blaster from its holdster and aimed it at Arnold, but Rhonda's hand caught the weapon.
"Wait a moment Nadine, if we take off now, we wont have to take orders from that maniac anymore and when the ship blows and destroys the Republic's soldiers, then we can take over the Galaxy ourselves!" Viceroy Rhonda smiled at the boldness of her plan.
Nadine blinked then smiled and put her weapon away. Together the two double-crossers began to prepare the shuttle for departure.
Outside, things were definately going the good guy's way.
Sid 3 PO, Li-la Binks, Grandpa Phil and the others all managed to find their way to a armored land cruiser commanded by General Park of the Republic's Army. They informed him of the situation inside and he responded by not opening fire on the battleship for fear of harming their own. Instead, the destruction of the Trade Federation's battle droids on the planet was going on as they inched their way closer.
General Park nodded, "Finally, all of the battle droids have been driven from the area around the battleship!" He turned to look at them. "I hope that the Jedi and the Senator are ok?"
"We are now!"
Everyone turned to see Master Phoebe dragging along Emperor Olga and Harold Fett while Big Bob set Helga down where some med robots began to help bandage her leg.
"Senator Helga!" Li-la Binks shouted and ran over hugging Helga, who looked very annoyed by the attention she was getting from the annoying gungan. "You're alive! You're ever-so alive!"
Helga shoved her off. "Oh quit slobbering all over me, sheesh!" Still she did sort-of smile a little.
General Park walked over, "Senator, Master Phoebe? Are you to ok?"
"A little worse for wear, but otherwise ok, General. Is the field secure?" Helga asked, the voice of authority again.
"Yes, we have destroyed all but a small pocket of the droids, who retreated back into the ship."
Helga nodded, "Very good, hold them there, but do not fire onto the ship, there are still two Jedi knights in there."
One of them is the boy I love, she thought but didn't add.
General Park nodded then looked at the prisoners and frowned. "Take them into custody!" He ordered a pair of white-clad troopers. They took Helga's evil sister and the Bounty Hunter away for the moment.
As the med robots began to take care of Helga's leg, she closed her eyes and felt out in the Force towards the ship. She could sense that Arnold was there, fighting hard. She also felt Darth Curly's presence as well, also in a desperate fight.
Please come back to me, Arnold my love, Helga thought out to him in a silent prayer.
Back in the shuttle bay, Arnold and Darth Curly were fighting hard, both seemingly equally matched at the moment.
Darth Curly gritted his teeth as their blades connected again, he swung the other end of the lightsaber against Arnold's legs. Arnold's blue lightsaber blocked it and he used the other end to swipe at the Sith Lord who ducked and backed away. Arnold felt it as Darth Curly sent some spare parts at him through the Force. Arnold deflected as many of these as he could, but a few pelted his back and arms. Darth Curly swung his lightsaber and cut the tip off of Arnold's blue lightsaber, rendering it useless and Arnold back to one weapon, Stinky's old lightsaber.
Arnold tossed the piece of his lightsaber at the evil Darth Curly and swung the other lightsaber at him. A green blur passed in front of him and connected with one end of the red blur. The other end went towards Arnold's head and he ducked down, but not before feeling the heat of the lightsaber pass just by his left ear. He rolled a little ways and back up slightly, the lightsaber in front of him.
"You should not have come after me, Skywalker!" Darth Curly said, gloating as he stepped forward. "Do you realize now how foolish it is to face me?"
Arnold used the Force to send more machinery parts at the Sith Lord, who blocked most of these effortlessly. However, it did distract him long enough for Arnold to slash at Darth Curly's lightsaber, cutting it in two, one side flickered uselessly and died. Arnold kicked him hard in the stomach. Darth Curly fell back, then flipped and stood up again. The odds were not even.
Even this did not seem to seriously bother Darth Curly. "I don't need two blades to finish you off, Jedi!"
Arnold lunged and locked blades with his enemy. Darth Curly pushed him off with his strength and slashed, cutting a slash in Arnold's robe front, but not touching the skin missing by very little. He backed over and was almost near a large drop shaft that ran to the reactor below.
Gerald came running up, guided by the strong feeling in the Force and by the sounds of a lightsaber duel. He turned the corner and saw, at the end of the hallway through a pair of large double doors, Arnold and Darth Curly circling each other and slashing with fast speeds with their lightsabers and their feet at one another. He ran...
Darth Curly felt his old master's presence and saw him out of the corner of his eye. That was all he need just then. Despite his words, Arnold was indeed holding his own. The duel with Helga weakened him more than he realized and he needed time to get away and regroup. He used the Force to send a peice of broken machinery towards the door controls. The doorway began to close and shut just before Gerald could get to it.
Arnold glanced over to see this, and that was all the distraction that Darth Curly needed. He connected blades with Arnold and shoved with his body, knocking the Padawan off-balance. Then he summoned the Force to knock Arnold backwards. The lightsaber flew from his hand and rolled behind Curly, while the short Jedi fell backwards into the pit.
Arnold managed to grab hold of a pipe that fed waste into the pit about a foot from the bottom of the edge. His hands were barely the size to hold onto it and there was no other surface that Arnold could either grab hold of or put his feet down. Panic was setting in.
He looked up and into the triumphant face of Darth Curly who laughed.
Outside, Helga shut her eyes tightly as she felt the fear and the anxiety from Arnold. "Arnold!" She shouted, the fear clear in her voice.
Phoebe nodded, feeling it too, hoping that whatever was wrong could be fixed.
Crawling along in the corridors towards the bridge of the battleship, Master Gertie paused and felt Arnold's distress. She hoped also that there was a way...
Gerald Windu, who was closer to Arnold that the others, felt his friend's fear and quickly sprung into action. He activated his lightsaber and thrust the blade into the door cut in open. It was taking too long....
Darth Curly looked over to see a hole was being cut into the door. He could see that it would take about two minutes for Gerald to cut through. He smiled. More than enough time. He looked back down into the pit and said, mockingly, "Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging around." He laughed at his own wit and brought the red blade of his lightsaber over and slashed at the edge of the pit, sending sparks down on Arnold.
Arnold closed his eyes. He could feel Helga's fear for him, her calling out his name....
Helga, I'm sorry, he thought to himself. I wanted to show you how much I truly love you. Forgive me.
He knew that it was over.
Then, when all hope was seemingly lost, a voice spoke up that only Arnold could hear.
The voice of Master Stinky Kenobi said, Use the Force, Arnold!
Arnold blinked, "Stinky? Is that you?"
Let go, Arnold. Think about what must be done and trust your instincts. The disembodied voice said. Arnold, Trust me.
"Muttering a little prayer before you die?" Darth Curly said, with an evil smile on his face. "Well then, time for you to join Master Kenobi with your weak side of the Force!" Now he raised his lightsaber over his head, ready to strike down the young padawan.
Arnold closed his eyes again and concentrated on his situation.
Through the Force, he could see Stinky's lightsaber, laying on the floor behind Darth Curly. He saw himself spring out of the hole...
"Now die Jedi!" Darth Curly spat as he began to swing.
It all happened in a matter of two seconds...
As Darth Curly swung, Arnold called upon the Force to propel him from the pit. He missed the red blade of the lightsaber by inches as he shot up. At the same instant, Stinky's lightsaber flew into Arnold's hand as he began a mid-air summersalt. It activated while Arnold was upside down and Arnold, acting on pure instinct swung once, then he landed just behind Darth Curly on his feet, dropping to one knee.
Arnold gasped for air and stood, turning to face the Sith Lord.
Darth Curly turned to look at Arnold, a surprised look was evident on his face. His mouth was opened slightly and he dropped his lightsaber on the floor. It clanked and deactivated.
For an long instint, Arnold looked on in pity and sympathy to Darth Curly, who devoted his whole existence to power and the dark nature of the universe. Unlike Stinky, who used his life to help people and serve the good side of The Force, Darth Curly would have no other existence beyond this one. Such was the ultimate fate for those who serve the Dark Side.
Despite their fight and their natures against one another, Arnold had not hated Darth Curly and took no pleasure in what he'd done.
Darth Curly, Dark Lord of the Sith and former Jedi Padawan looked at him, an incrudious look plastered on his face, and muttered his very last words. "Nice shot."
Then he began to fall backwards into the pit, head first...followed a few moments later by the rest of him.
Arnold dropped to his knees and deactivated Stinky's lightsaber...now his own and looked at it.
Remember Arnold, the Force will be with you, always...and so will I, Stinky's voice said.
Arnold lowered his head and held the handle of the lightsaber to his head and muttered, "Thank you, Master Stinky. I will never forget you."
To be Continued....
Yah! Just one more chapter then the finalle! I cant wait! Stay tuned! D.R.