In the safety of met speed, it didn't take long for the Millennium Trumpet to reach the brass storage room, hidden at the very heart of the Douglas County System. Amanda knew that it wouldn't be long before the Woodwinds arrived so she had Tim2 taken straight to Section Leader Nick. The show and the layout of the flute station were analyzed and a plan of attack was concocted. The Brass army was put to work, and after three grueling days, the show was on the field and ready for battle. On the eve that the flute station was seen approaching the high school the warriors were gathered for a briefing. The section leaders had a plan.

"The flute station is heavily shielded and carries a fire power greater than half the Brass fleet. It's defenses are designed around a direct large scale assault. A single warrior should be able to penetrate the outer defense." Section Leader Nick informed them as he showed them the schematics of the flute station.

"Pardon me for asking, sir. But what good are trumpets going to be against that?" one of the warriors asked.

"The Empire doesn't consider a single warrior to be any threat, or they'd have a tighter defense." Nick explained. "An analysis of the plans provided by Princess Amanda has demonstrated a weakness in the flute station. The approach will not be easy. You are required to march through the opener and skim the ballad to the clumps. At that moment the target will be within range. The target area is only 2 meters wide. It's a small opening in the shell right below the main clasp. The place where the mechanism draws in air to power the Death Flute. The shaft leads directly to the core of the station. A precise hit on the right count will start up a chain reaction which should destroy the station. Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. There will only be two points in the show when the target will be in range. The clumps in the ballad and the very end of the closer. And the shaft is ray-shielded so you'll have to use trombones instead of trumpets. And remember, if you stay in step and correct form then the enemy will not be able to touch you."

"That's impossible! Even for a computer!" Another warrior burst out.

"It's not impossible." Chris reasoned. "I used to bulls-eye womp rats on my trombone back home. They're not much bigger than two meters."

"Then don your uniforms. And may the Drill be with you." Nick said to the warriors in parting.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the main hanger of the high school, Keoni and Bruchacca were preparing the Millennium Trumpet for departure. Keoni had no intention of joining in the fight. It was a fool's errand. Besides, if he didn't pay off Kim with the money he'd earned from the Brass leaders he'd have a lot more to worry about than the moral dilemmas of the world.

"So, you've got your reward and your just leaving?" Chris asked incredulously as he came up behind Keoni.

"Yeah, that's right. I've got some old debts I gotta pay off with this stuff. Besides, even if I didn't you don't think I'd be crazy enough to stick around here do you?"

"Come on. Why don't you take a look around. You know what's about to happen-what they're up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You're turning your back on them!" Chris accused angrily.

"What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides, attacking that flute station ain't my idea of courage. More like…suicide."

"All right then. Take care of yourself, Keoni. I guess it's what you're best at, isn't it?!"

But as Chris turned to go Keoni called him back one last time.

"May the Drill be with you. Chris." he said grudgingly.

Chris gave a short nod to this and walked away. Keoni turned back to his case only to find Bruchacca glaring at him.

"What are you looking at?!" Keoni asked angrily as he grabbed another box to load. "I know what I'm doing."

Chris, on the other hand, was far from knowing what he was doing. As he walked over to his station to ready his trombone for the coming battle he absently played with the buttons on the worn out red jacket of his marching uniform. Amanda noticed his unsettling demeanor and walked over to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently.

"Oh, it's Keoni. I don't know. I really thought he'd change his mind."

Amanda smiled slightly at this.

"He's got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him."

"I really wish…Jason was here."

XXX

"Your student's sax seems a bit beat up. You want a new student?" a technician asked Chris as he led Tim2 to be hooked up into his battle station.

"Not on your life. That little student and I have been through a lot together. You ok, Tim2?" Chris asked the student as his sax was hooked up to a computer.

Tim2 beeped excitedly.

"Good." Chris said, taking a shako from one of the field attendants.

Just before Chris went to join the rest of the army in line, another technician attached a small device to the bell of his trombone. It connected him with Tim2's computer and allowed him to communicate directly with others on the field and back in the storage room.

When he was finally in line and the Brass army was marching onto the field, for the first time in his life, Chris Skywalker knew true fear. After all, he knew what they were up against. The others did not.

"All bandies report in." Chris heard Section Leader Eric's voice over the communicator on his trombone.

Chris listened as the entire section sounded off. When it was his turn he sounded the call.

"R-5 standing by."

Once all marchers were accounted for Eric gave the word.

"Lock the form in attack position."

"Here they come." A trombone warrior, Dukie, said excitedly.

Even though the sun was glaring in his eyes as it set, Chris could still see the giant station approaching the school. By the time it was within range, the sun would have already set. Chris started to hear some gasping from his fellow warriors as they laid eyes on the flute station for the first time.

"Look at the size of it." Johnny, another warrior, exclaimed.

"DRESS SET, DRESS!" Section Leader Eric shouted.

"And HIT!" the rest of the army complied.

"Accelerate to attack speed."

Then the on-field metronome activated. It played a count off of four beats and the army immediately broke into the show. Chris threw all of his concentration into staying in step and keeping in the form. After about ten pages Chris heard a voice coming from his communicator.

"Warriors, we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy warriors coming your way."

That's when Chris saw them. Marching on the ground just under the Flute station was an entire army of clarinets and alto saxophones. Because the station wasn't in firing range yet, they'd sent out a forward defense. And it didn't take long for the troops to reach the field either.

"Carry on with the opener. I'll try to fall out of step and draw their fire." Eric said.

But just then, Chris heard Dukie's voice over his communicator.

"CHRIS! GET BACK IN STEP!!"

Chris realized that he was indeed out of step and quickly pulled it back together. At almost the exact same moment Chris felt the heat on his heels as sax fire ripped into the turf where he'd been standing only a second before.

"Are you all right?"

"I got a little cooked but I'm ok." Chris answered before continuing to play and fire at the oncoming troopers.

Just then another problem caught his attention. Johnny was shouting at another warrior, Brittany.

"Brittany! PULL UP! You're out of step!"

"No, I'm all ri-AAAAAAAAARRRRGH!!!!!" her protest turned into a shriek of shock and pain as clarinet fire tore into her body, destroying her instantly.

"T-Leader, this is R-Leader. We have five pages left until the target comes in range. I'll take a shot at it. Cover me, Johnny." Eric said.

Johnny immediately switched places with another warrior and kept next to Eric. Chris was somewhat unnerved by the slower pace of the ballad. He felt much more vulnerable to the Woodwind attacks. But he knew that if he kept in time he couldn't be hit.

Just then, they came to the clumps and Eric raised his trombone to fire. But Johnny suddenly realized something.

"We're too close to the yard line! Loosen up!"

"Stay on target." Eric said.

"We're not moving! I can't hold them!" Johnny said frantically as a sax trooper took aim at him.

Chris shuddered inside when he heard Johnny's death scream.

Eric, meanwhile, took careful aim and fired his trombone at the air shaft.

"It's away!" the section leader shouted as the energy bolt shot through the darkened sky.

"It's a hit?" another warrior, Jesse, asked.

Suddenly, Eric's face fell.

"Negative. Negative. It didn't go in. Just a scratch on the surface."

Meanwhile, onboard the flute station, a clarinet officer was reporting to Darth Fred.

"We count thirty Brass warriors, Lord Fred. But they're so well in step, they're evading our sax and clarinet troops."

"We'll have to destroy them warrior by warrior. Get the flutes on the field."

Down on the field, the battle was turning in favor of the Brass. Though they had lost quite a few warriors, the Woodwinds had lost even more. Now the closer had begun and they would soon set up for another crack at the station. Their last chance.

"How many piccolo snipers do you count, R-Leader?" Another warrior, Conner, asked.

"I'd say about ten snipers. Some on the field and some on the case." Eric answered. "I need more back up for the next attack. I've lost Johnny and I've lost Brian. Get set up for the final attack run-"

Eric's command was interrupted as a round of clarinet fire ripped into his body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!"

Chris had no time to think about the section leader's death because he immediately received a warning from Dukie.

"Watch it! You've got one aiming at you!"

"I can't shake him!" Chris shouted desperately as he watched the sax trooper marching closer.

Suddenly, trombone fire slashed out of nowhere and cut the trooper down.

"Thanks, Jesse."

"I'm right with you, boss." she said.

"Dukie, Jesse! You're with me. R-Leader's gone and we're next in line to take the shot. We're taking the rest of the closer at 70 clicks. That oughta keep those saxophones off our backs."

"But, Chris. At that speed we'd never be able to pull out in time." Dukie protested.

"It's just like Drummer's Canyon back home." Chris said with exhilaration.

"All right. We'll stay back far enough to cover you." Dukie said as the three of them entered the final lick.

"Tim2, try and increase the power." Chris said to the little student stationed back in the storage room. Tim2 immediately set to work.

The target would soon be in range and their way was clear. It would have been an easy shot had another problem not emerged. Darth Fred came marching onto the field, leading two flute warriors.

"Stay in attack formation." Fred commanded the other two. "I'll take them myself. Cover me."

"Yes, sir."

Fred focused all of his attention on the trombone warrior leading the three-person attack.

"I have you now." he said to himself as he raised his own trombone to his lips and fired.

Fortunately, Chris' next forward movement took him out of the blast's path. But it still grazed his trombone. Right where the communicator was attached. Chris was still able to communicate with the storage room but the communicator was still connected to Tim2's sax. The blast sent a shock wave into the computer and into Tim2's sax. The surge knocked Tim2 out cold.

"I've lost Tim2." Chris said worriedly.

Amanda immediately looked up from the main computer screen and down the row of computer stations. Many of them housed dead students. The students had died when their masters' communication devices were destroyed. When her eyes fell on Tim2's station she saw him slumped over the computer console, unconscious. And as much as she wanted to help him, Amanda knew that if Tim2 was unplugged from the computer while Chris was still on the field and the connection was still active then the little student would die instantly.

Back on the field, trouble was brewing. The two flute warriors had ganged up on Jesse and managed to score a hit on her right arm. She was unable to play her weapon anymore.

"I'm hit!" she shouted to Chris.

"Get clear, Jesse. You can't do anymore good back there."

"Sorry." she grunted as she turned and marched straight off the field.

The two flutes would have been on her in a second had it not been for Fred.

"Let her go. Stay on the leader."

Next the twosome ganged up on Dukie.

"Hurry Chris. They're coming up much faster this time. I can't hold them."

Chris never had a chance to respond. The flutes chose that moment to fire. Dukie didn't even have a chance to scream.

Again, there was no time to mourn the death of his friend. Chris immediately activated the met on the communicator. He had to know exactly what beat to fire on. This was the last hope.

But just as he was drawing down to the final few pages, Chris heard a strange voice in his head.

"Use the Drill, Chris."

The Drill? Jason?!

"Let go, Chris."

Let go? Hardly. He needed the met to know when to fire. But no sooner had the thought entered his head than it began to seem silly. Who was he going to trust? The met…or Jason?

"Chris, trust me." the voice pleaded with him.

In that moment, Chris came to a decision. He'd never felt more confident in his entire life. He shut off the met.

"Chris, you've switched off your metronome. What's wrong?" Amanda asked through the communicator.

"Nothing. I'm all right." Chris answered serenely.

But suddenly, a warning bell sounded throughout the entire school.

"The Death Flute is clear to fire. Repeat. The Death Flute is clear to fire." a mechanized voice reported.

Chris heard the voice over his communicator. This was really it. He turned all of his attention to the task at hand, paying no attention to his pursuers. Fred had him in his sights.

"The Drill is strong with this one." Darth Fred said to himself as he readied himself to fire.

But just then, trumpet fire came thundering out of nowhere, taking out both flute warriors.

"What?!" Fred shouted furiously.

"YE-HOO!"

Chris didn't look back to see who it was, but he'd recognize that shout anywhere.

Keoni and Bruchacca came marching onto the field just in time to save Chris from being fried.

Keoni took another shot, destroying Fred's trombone and sending him flying off the field.

"You're all clear, kid! Now lets blow this thing and go home!" Keoni shouted to him.

But Chris barely heard him. He was in the very grip of the Drill. He could feel it flow about him as he took a deep breath and fired at the air shaft of the flute station. The station was directly overhead now.

Chris halted and looked up in time to see the energy beam shoot straight into the air shaft. Chris allowed himself to breath again. But there was no time for celebrating. Chris, Keoni, Bruchacca, and the remnants of the Brass army booked it off of the field. Chris looked back over his shoulder just in time to see the Flute Station explode into a million, fiery pieces. Killing all onboard.

"Great shot, kid! That was one in a million!" Keoni congratulated him once they had reached the safety of the main hanger.

But Chris wasn't paying attention to him. He was thinking back on the voice he'd heard. What was that?

"The Drill will be with you…always."

Chris looked around in surprise. None of the others had spoken. But Chris finally understood. He turned his gaze back out of the hanger and up into the night sky. Jason Kenobi. Gone, but not forgotten.

"CHRIS!" he heard Amanda shouting as she raced into the hanger. She was laughing and crying all at once as she ran over to hug him. Both of them literally danced for joy.

"HEY!!" they heard Keoni's voice as he approached their little circle.

Chris immediately jumped him.

"I knew you'd come back! I just knew it!" he shouted gleefully.

"Well I wasn't gonna let you get all the credit and take all the reward!" Keoni said jokingly through his laughter.

Amanda also came over and hugged Keoni. And he hugged her back, very fiercely. They only separated when they heard Chris' cry of dismay.

"Oh no!"

"Oh, my! Tim2, can you hear me?! Say something!" A-10 cried out, on the verge of tears as two paramedics disengaged Tim2 from his computer and laid him out on a stretcher.

"You can save him, can't you?" A-10 asked desperately.

"We'll get to work on it right away." one of the paramedics said as they pulled the stretcher away.

"You must repair him!"

"Don't worry. He'll be all right." Chris said, placing a comforting hand on A-10's shoulder.

XXX

It was nearly a week after the great battle. The Brass leaders had decided to bestow their highest honors on Chris, Keoni, and Bruchacca. Amanda would present them with medals. The ceremony would include all of the lavishness that befitted Amanda's office.

And indeed, Chris felt like it might have been a bit much as he marched down the isle alongside of Keoni and Bruchacca. He could feel the eyes of the entire Brass army upon him. But once the threesome reached the front of the great hall, Amanda's friendly smile wiped away all of their doubts. Her face became solemn, however, when Section Leader Nick stepped forward, bearing the medals of honor.

Amanda presented each of them with a medal. And finally they all turned to face the army. Chris couldn't help but smile as thunderous applause and cheering filled the hall. He allowed his gaze to drift to his side a little and saw that A-10 and Tim2 now stood beside him. Tim2 was as good as new.

Chris continued to smile joyfully. Though his heart still ached from the loss of his mentor, he was content for the moment. The Brass had won a great victory in their crusade against the Woodwinds.

The battle was won…but the war was far from over.