In the meadow outside of the city, the Gungan army stands full force. Hundreds of Gungan soldiers are in lines stretching to the horizon; looming fambaas carry shield generators on their backs; officers sit on large kaadu. The Gungans grimly watch the Droid Army tanks approaching. When the tanks come near enough, General Ceel motions to the shield operators.

"Energize the shields."

Large rays shoot from the generators and spread like an umbrella over the assembled army.

-------------

Padmé and I lead our team through the back of the central plaza – behind the backs of the droids – toward the entrance to the main hanger. I glance back at our team, composed of Obi, Qui-Gon, E'Riq, and the pilots we had managed to gather. Padmé stops and signals across the plaza to Panaka and Dormé.

Qui-Gon leans over to Anakin, and I can hear him whisper, "Once we get inside, Anni, you find a safe place to hide and stay there."

"Sure," I hear replied.

"And stay there!" Qui-Gon repeats.

Suddenly blaster fire erupts at the other end of the plaza, and I see Panaka's team engaging the droids. Padmé and I hurry into the main hanger, the rest following. We're immediately met with wailing alarms and blaster fire from droids. The soldiers spread out, ducking behind anything they can find, while Obi, Qui-Gon and I deflect as many blasts as we are able to with our lightsabers.

I hear a cry to my left and can tell that the first Nubian in our team has been killed. I grit my teeth, and put extra energy into my lightsaber. I want as few people to die as possible. They already killed Jase, they're not going to kill many more. Not if I can help it.

Just thinking about Jase I can feel the anger welling up inside me. They killed him…just because he was in charge…these innocent people…

I distantly hear Padmé yell to the pilots, "Get to your ships!"

I feel something else too…besides the anger…it feels…

-------------

I help cover the pilots as they run to their planes, as well as Padmé who is running over to Qui-Gon. When she reaches him, she says, "My guess is the Viceroy is in the throne room."

Qui-Gon nods. "I agree."

Wait…someone's missing. I quickly glance around for the third lightsaber, and notice it hanging motionless in Zanni's hand. What is she doing? I run over to her and grab her, pulling her behind a fighter jet.

"Zanni, what are you doing…" I turn her around stare straight into her bright green eyes. Oh no. Not now. She told me to snap her out of it. How? Remind her who she is? Recite the Jedi code?

I shake her. "Zanni, Zanni, come back to me! Zandra Cloudbearer…Padawan Cloudbearer…I order you to come back! It's me…Obi."

What else did she tell me to do? Tell her how bad the Dark Side is? Don't piss her off? "Don't let your emotions control you. There is only serenity. Zanni!"

Blasts continue to whiz by, and I look around frantically. What am I going to do? I shake her some more. Don't piss her off? What does that mean? Maybe say nice things to her? "Zanni, come back. You're a great Jedi, you're a strong, moral person." This sounds so lame to me. What else can I say? "Zanni! I…I love you! Come back Zanni!"

She turns her head when I say that. That's a good thing, right? "I love you Zanni!"

I glance across the hanger and see E'Riq watching us. There's an idea. "These people need you, Zanni. They need your help. E'Riq needs your help. I need your help. We all love you!"

She stands, slowly…but her eyes are still green. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? She starts walking, slowly, toward one of the doors at this end of the hanger. Qui-Gon and Padmé both see her, and Qui-Gon turns to Padmé, confused. "Where's she going?"

Padmé yells back, "To the throne room, it seems."

Qui-Gon signals me over, and I join them.

"What's going on?" Qui-Gon asks, his eyes not leaving Zanni.

"I don't know! She in a trance…I don't get how none of the blaster fire has hit her yet."

"Force, this isn't good." Qui-Gon stands and makes his way to Zanni, deflecting blaster bolts as he needs to. Finally, Panaka's soldiers burst in and quickly help us finish off the remaining droids in the hanger.

While they're doing that, I run over to Zanni again. She turns around, her eyes brown again, looking around her confused. She looks at me as I run up, and her eyes widen. "Did I…"

I nod. "Yes."

She suddenly snaps her head around and looks at the door to the throne room. "Oh no."

Before I have a chance to ask, the door opens and that…that thing that Qui-Gon fought on Tatooine is standing in the doorway. It must be a Sith Lord. I can feel the disturbance in the Force. It looms dark and tall, with a red and black face, a dark hood pulled over its head.

The soldiers draw back. Qui-Gon and I step forward. Zanni steps even farther forward, her jaw set in resolve. Just what the resolve is about I don't know.

The Sith Lord looks at her intently, focusing on her. Zanni watches him even more intently, focusing even more. What is going on? I glance at Qui-Gon and he looks just as perplexed as I do. Everyone is silent, watching the scene. It's only a moment but it feels like an eternity.

For a brief instant it appears that her eyes turn green again…but it's only for an instant. I might very easily be mistaken. She smirks humorlessly and sheds her cloak, igniting her lightsaber. Her eyes never leave the Sith Lord's.

The Sith in turn brings out a lightsaber. As the green blade appears before Zanni, a red one appears before the Sith…and then another red one appears…a double bladed lightsaber? Oh Force.

Zanni turns toward us, raising her lightsaber…oh no, is she- and then suddenly turns back toward the Sith, attacking him. The Sith looks very surprised and takes a startled step back, barely blocking her initial blows. He quickly starts to overpower her though, and Qui-Gon jumps into the fray. I ignite my lightsaber but I don't know what to do…I can't seem to find and opening. All I can do for the moment is watch.

Qui-Gon's saber swings very close to Zanni's head, and I see a red one block it. And again, the blue blade approaches her side on a back-swing…and the red blade blocks it. Is the Sith Lord…defending her? No, it's probably just a mistake.

-------------

I can feel the Sith's mind trying to penetrate mine, and I push back with all the mental strength I can muster. What is he doing? Why did I almost attack Obi and Qui-Gon? Thank the Force for Qui-Gon, I wouldn't be able to hold the Dark Lord back much longer…Maul…Darth Maul. Where did that come from? I look at him. Did he just introduce himself?

Droids burst into the hanger and start firing on Padmé and the troops. I put new effort into battling Darth Maul. We need to get past him; he's blocking the way to the throne room where the Viceroy hopefully is…although he may have moved by now. Why are the Sith interested in the Trade Federation? Or in Naboo?

Suddenly, I feel it. I hear a cry, and feel the tug from behind me. I forget about Darth Maul and spin around, my eyes going right to it. E'Riq is lying on the ground, a pool of blood forming. I dash over to him, dodging blasts, and pick him up, noting that the wound is in the leg. Relief washes over me as I realize that he's not dead. Not yet anyway. I quickly carry him over behind a jet and asses the wound. It's a nasty one, and he's losing blood fast. I rip off part of his pant-leg and wrap it tightly around the wound. I close my eyes and focus on it – I suddenly feel very weak. What did that Sith do to me? I have very little energy left to connect with the Force. I muster as much as I can and manage to at least stop the bleeding and revive him.

E'Riq squints up at me and winces at the pain in his leg. "Do I want to know how bad it is?"

"It could be a lot worse. You can't walk on it though."

He looks past me toward the door. Oh no, I left Qui-Gon with Darth Maul. I look over my shoulder, and see Obi helping him out. They have him pinned between them and they seem to be making progress.

I look out at the current battle with the new droids. Force, these droids have shields. I hate that kind. I run out in front of Padmé and start deflecting the bolts again. I swear sometimes Jedi are most useful only as shields.

One of the jets in the hanger starts to move, and fires on the droids. Thank the Force for that pilot. While the droids are momentarily distracted by the jet, Padmé leads the troops out of the hanger and into a Palace hallway. "We're going to have to take a different route to the throne room!"

I tuck a blaster I find on the floor in my belt and hurry over to E'Riq and pick him up to carry him. I'm not leaving him here.

He immediately protests. "Zanni, don't be stupid! You can't carry me! Not now! Protect the Queen, I'll manage. Put me down!"

"Just shoot anything robotic that pops up behind me, okay?"

He sighs and looks over my shoulder. "All right."

-------------

Qui-Gon and I push the Sith Lord back, out of the hanger. We soon find ourselves in the city's power generator room, balancing on rather narrow walkways. From the glance I chance downward, it seems that there isn't much of a bottom to this room.

Qui-Gon and I try to keep him between us at all times. The Sith jumps up onto another walkway. I jump up behind him, Qui-Gon jumps up in front of him, and we continue to battle the two red blades. The Sith Lord's power is astonishing. Qui-Gon and I are barely matching him. I gasp as his foot suddenly collides with my stomach and I find myself falling through the air. I grab at anything I can, and finally cling to a walkway several levels below where I was.

I look up as I drag myself onto the platform to see the Sith run through a doorway in the side of the room, Qui-Gon in hot pursuit. I quickly jump up to that level and run after them. The whole scene suddenly goes red and I realize in time to stop that a force field has just gone across the hallway. There are several force fields spaced down the hallway; Qui-Gon is five away from me, the Sith Lord one more.

I pace before the field, my chest heaving, watching closely. Qui-Gon kneels and closes his eyes, meditating. I will always be in awe of his ability to meditate in extremely intense situations.

-------------

I hear E'Riq fire his blaster. Uh-oh. "We have company?"

"Yep, about ten of 'em." He fires some more shots.

Suddenly several more droids appear in the hallway in front of us. I pull the blaster out of my belt and fire out from under E'Riq's legs.

"We don't have time for this, Captain," Padmé says to Panaka.

Panaka nods. "Let's try the outside stairway." He turns to a window in the side of the hallway and blasts a hole through it. Padmé follows him through the window, as do a few of the guards.

I can't take E'Riq out there.

"Put me down, damnit. I'll stay here," he grunts. "I'll help take care of these droids. You've gotta go protect the Queen."

He's right. I find a doorway to set him in so that he's covered from the fire, but can still see out. "Now get out of here!" He aims his blaster and begins to fire.

I quickly run out the window as Padmé, Panaka and the few guards shoot thin cables out of their pistols to a level five stories up. The rest of the soldiers – including Dormé in the Queen's battle dress – are staying in the hall to combat the droids.

I glance down. It's a six-story drop into the lake at the bottom of the falls. Padmé and the few on the ledge begin to slowly climb up the wall. I dropped that blaster in the hallway, so I can't get up by the same means.

I study the wall. There are several small ledges, one every story. I muster my strength and jump up to the first one. I can do this. I'm still pretty drained from whatever Darth Maul did, so I have to rest a minute before I make the next jump. I finally reach the top level and wait for the others to arrive.

------------

A window in a hallway in the Palace blasts apart. Padmé, Captain Panaka, Zanni, and a few soldiers climb in and head for the door across the hallway: the door to the throne room. Suddenly, two destroyer droids put themselves in front of the door. Padmé turns around to find two more droids behind them. They are surrounded.

Padmé drops her blaster and turns to Panaka. "Throw down your weapons. They win this round."

Panaka begins to protest, "But we can't..."

"Captain, I said throw down your weapons," Padmé repeats.

Zanni nods to Panaka. "Do as she says."

Captain Panaka looks at Zanni for a moment, and then throws down his weapon. The other soldiers follow.

Panaka glances sideways, noticing that Zanni did not put down a weapon. However, her lightsaber is nowhere in sight.

-------------------

As I pace behind the force field, I focus on the Force, and sense the fields about to open. The second they do I bolt down the hallway towards Qui-Gon and the Sith Lord who are now engaged once more. I slide to a halt as the fields close again, only inches away from the fighting now. I watch intently, studying their moves, pacing, trying to even my breathing.

The meditation must have done Qui-Gon some good because he's fighting the Sith with new energy, pushing his opponent back quite a ways. I wince as they step near a hole in the middle of the floor of the end room. I hope that hole is a shallow one.

Suddenly, the Sith Lord bashes Qui-Gon in the chin, taking him off-guard. In one swift movement he runs Qui-Gon through with his lightsaber.

He runs Qui-Gon through with his lightsaber.

He runs Qui-Gon through.

Qui-Gon slumps to the floor in a heap.

I stop dead still. That didn't happen. I keep watching Qui-Gon, waiting for him to jump up again and attack the Sith. He isn't moving.

-------------

"Turn around," one droid commands.

We do as we're told and the door to the throne room opens. "Enter," the droid prods. I follow Padmé and Panaka into the room, and the other soldiers follow. As I step through the door I wrap my Padawan braid around the base of my bun to hide it. Without my Jedi cloak and braid, only another Jedi could identify me as a Jedi.

Viceroy Nute Gunray is standing at the desk, along with other Trade Federation officers and several of his guards. "Your little insurrection is at an end, Your Highness," he says to Padmé. "Time for you to sign the treaty, and end this pointless debate in the Senate."

Dormé appears in the door dressed like the Queen, with some troops. I glance behind her to see several destroyed battle droids. Her voice rings out across the room and startles the Viceroy. "I will not be signing any treaty, Viceroy, because you've lost!"

The Viceroy yells at his guards, "After her! This one is a decoy!"

Six of his guards follow Dormé down the hallway.

I glance at Padmé. She suddenly slumps down in the throne chair and hits a button that opens a panel on her desk opposite Panaka, revealing three blasters. She tosses one to Panaka and one to me, and grabs the third herself. In no time we have the remaining droids destroyed. Padmé quickly pushes another button as Gunray and his officers run for the doors, locking them in.

Padmé looks steadily at Gunray. "Now, Viceroy, this is the end of your occupation here."

"Don't be absurd. There are too few of you. It won't be long before hundreds of destroyer droids break in to rescue us." The Viceroy's voice shakes.

I toss my blaster to one of the soldiers with us, and pull my lightsaber from my boot. That was getting horribly uncomfortable.

-------------

I turn my attention to the Sith Lord that is now pacing inches in front of me, waiting for the field to retract.

He just ran Qui-Gon through. Nobody runs Qui-Gon through. I glare at him with a ferocity I didn't know I was capable of. The second the field opens I'm at him with so much rage I almost scare myself, a roar ripping from my throat.

Our lightsabers clash as we push each other around the room. I grow weary, and start to panic as he gains the upper hand. I step back and my foot hits nothing, and I tumble back into the hole in the middle of the room. It's a lot deeper than I had hoped. I manage to catch onto a small nozzle on the side of the pit, barely managing to hold on. The Sith Lord grins as he kicks my lightsaber into the pit. I don't hear it hit anything.

Only one end of the Sith Lord's lightsaber is working now, and he raises it to strike. I manage to get enough of a hold on the nozzle to leap out of the pit, and call Qui-Gon's lightsaber to me with the Force. I lunge at him with the lightsaber, blinded by rage, and start when I slice into him…and right on out of him. His two halves topple over and fall into the hole, his lightsaber not far behind him.

I immediately run over to Qui-Gon, and cradle his head in my lap. He's still alive, but barely. "Master, Master!"

He looks up at me, his eyes a very dull gray. "It's too late…It's…"

"No!" I feel something wet trickle down my cheek. He can't be dying. Qui-Gon doesn't die, he can't. He can't leave me.

"Obi-Wan, promise…Promise me you'll train the boy."

I nod. "Yes, Master."

He continues, "He is the chosen one…he will…bring balance…train him!"

I nod again.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," he sends me through the Force, gently touching my cheek. "You will be a great Knight. May the Force be with you." He closes his eyes, and I can feel his essence melding with the Force.

I hold him tight, my eyes tightly closed, tears spilling out. I lean forward and rest my head on his chest, sobbing into his tunic. He can't be dead…Qui-Gon doesn't die. He can't be dead…

----------------

I suddenly feel a movement in the Force. Not a disturbance per se, but something. I turn to Padmé. "I need to…"

She nods. "Go, we'll be all right here."

Without another word I run out into the hallway, back towards where I left Obi, Qui-Gon and Darth Maul. The hallways seem strangely quiet, and the only droids I pass are destroyed ones.

I reach the hanger and run through the door the three went through, when I'm suddenly almost bowled over by a shockwave being sent through the Force. Something big just happened. I regain my balance and run into the generator room. I stop and look around, trying to find exactly where they are. I can feel them. Well…I can feel Obi. Obi, and his…pain…anger. Oh no. I feel the Force move again, and I suddenly recognize what this feeling is. A Jedi just died.

I hurry as fast as I can toward Obi, and run down a corridor. I have to stop when a red force field comes across the hall. I try to look into the room at the end, but all I can see is a pair of boots lying on the floor. They could be Obi's, Qui-Gon's or Darth Maul's. I close my eyes and focus on the Force, trying to feel what is happening in that room. I can only feel Obi, not Qui-Gon or the Sith Lord. Obi's in so much pain. My stomach twists.

The force field retracts and I charge through the hallway, my lightsaber at the ready in case I need to use it. I charge into the room and stop quickly when I see two figures huddled on the floor, both Jedi. The one lying down is Qui-Gon, the one sitting up is Obi. Obi's face is buried in Qui-Gon's tunic. There is a large black and red stain on Qui-Gon's stomach. Oh…no.

Obi is aware of me, though he doesn't look up.

I swallow hard. "Is he…"

"Yes," Obi chokes out.

I find myself sinking to my knees. Oh Force, Qui-Gon is dead. Obi's master is dead. That is truly a Padawan's worst nightmare. My greatest fear has always been that Master Windu might be killed. And now here Obi is, his master lying dead before him. Qui-Gon was a powerful Jedi Master, too. That Sith must have been…where is he anyway? I perk up, looking around carefully.

"Obi, where is…"

"I killed him," comes another choked reply. He raises his face and looks at me finally. His eyes are red and puffy, and his face is covered in tears. "I killed him," he repeats, loudly. "I KILLED HIM!" he screams at the walls, at the ceiling, at the hole in the floor. He looks down at Qui-Gon again, cradling his dead master's head. "He killed Qui-Gon," he says to me, as if showing me for the first time that Qui-Gon is dead.

I close my eyes, letting Obi's emotions wash over me, almost drown me. When I open my eyes, I see that he has his face buried in Qui-Gon's tunic again. All I can do is sit there, in shock. It's not supposed to happen like this. If I had been here with them…If I hadn't left them for E'Riq…This wouldn't have happened. I'm certain of it.

- - - -

The council has been contacted and some members are accompanying the Supreme Chancellor on their way here to Naboo. Viceroy Gunray and his officers are being guarded closely. Many of the Nubian soldiers have been sent out to get everybody out of the camps, while the rest are here in the city and out in the meadow, taking the wounded to the hospital and the deceased to a branch of the temple where they will be prepared for the funeral ceremonies. I help Obi take Qui-Gon there, and then hurry back toward the hallway where I left E'Riq.

As I enter the hanger, I find most of the dead still there. I walk silently among them, and stop by a face with wide open eyes. Lar-Quin. I kneel beside her, noting the hole through her chest. I gently close her eyelids, fold her hands over her torso, and stand again. They killed Lar-Quin, they killed Jase, they killed Qui-Gon, they killed countless others.

I once again move toward the hallway where I left E'Riq, but this time more slowly. I will my legs to move faster, but they only seem to slow down. I pass several soldiers coming from that hallway, carrying the wounded. No E'Riq though.

I stop one of them. "Are there any more wounded?"

He shakes his head. "Don't think so, but there could be. We'll be coming back." He walks on.

I reach the end of the hallway and step over a heap of destroyed battle droids. When I spot the first body, time seems to speed up again, and I run over to the doorway where I left E'Riq. It's empty.

I turn around. "E'Riq?"

No answer.

"E'Riq?" I try to keep my voice from sounding too frantic. Where would he have gone? Maybe he was carried out and I didn't see him? No, I know that's not the case. "E'Riq?" I call out again.

I look at the floor, and notice a blood stain halfway across the hall that leads over to…a leg sticking out of a doorway. "E'Riq?" I call again, not able to move. If he's dead, I don't want to see it.

I hear a small coughing sound…at least I think I hear one. The leg moves a little…at least I think it does.

"E'Riq?" I take a step forward, holding my breath, my heart jumping into my throat.

"Mmmph," comes a reply. That's a rather familiar-sounding Mmmph.

I rush forward and slide to my knees on the floor besides the leg that is attached to…E'Riq. His eyes are closed but he's turning his head, and pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"E'Riq!" I pull him into a hug, holding him as though I'm afraid to let him go. I am afraid to let him go. "Thank the Force you're alive," I breathe into his neck. I can feel him hugging me back, weekly, and I shift so that I'm supporting him.

He opens his eyes, and squints up at me. "Zanni? Why are you here? Where's the Queen?"

I smile, almost dizzy with relief. "She's safe. The battle's over. We have won."

He closes one eye again and blinks the other one at me. He's got a pretty big bump on his head. "We won?"

I nod and laugh. "We won!" I hug him again, almost crying out of relief. Whether we won or not, I'm just happy that he's alive.

Okay, now a question. In my next chapter, I can either write in a scene that would bump the story to M (for sex) or I can leave out the details that would change the rating. What would you guys prefer?