Author Note: Ok guys! This chapter contains battle scenes and blood...just to warn those of you who didn't like the blood in the previous chapters!
Oh, and for those of you who've seen the film, this chapter will be no surprise, but for those of you who haven't, be prepared for a character death...not a main character, but more of a secondary character who's close to Jango...again, I've said too much!
Enjoy!
Early next morning, the Imperial camp was awoken by the sounds of war cries, horns and battle drums.
Sidious, Mas Amedda, and Maul exited the large tent to find that the beach was a frenzy of activity. Thousands of men rushed to their positions, hastily arming themselves. The kings looked to the high dunes.
Obi-Wan and his Theed guards, on kaadus, lined the dunes and looked down on the encampment. 25,000 Nubian foot soldiers marched behind Obi-Wan, who gave a signal. The force halted.
A cry had started up on the far end of the beach and grew steadily louder. Maul looks in that direction and saw that a glittering figure had stepped forth from the Kaminoan camp, clad in the beautiful and distinctive armor that every man in the Imperial army recognized.
"Jango," Maul muttered.
Sidious, hearing the commotion, turned and saw the shining warrior. He watched the spectacle with mixed emotions, unsure of whether to be glad, or angry that Jango had finally decided to fight.
Nute, standing with several Kaminoans, was thrilled by his leader's unexpected arrival.
"Arm yourselves, men," he cried and the Kaminoans quickly and excitedly armed themselves.
The Nubians were not aware of this energy. Obi-Wan raised his saber and pointed at the Imperials. The Nubian army charged and when they were within range the Nubian snipers fired, sending a volley of blasts over the heads of their comrades. The Imperial snipers released at the same time and two flocks of blasts crossed in the sky, swooping down on the men below. Dozens of Imperials and Nubians fell to the sand.
But now the silver figure of Jango leapt over the trench, sunlight reflecting off his polished armor.
A Nubian officer, spear raised, galloped toward the figure of Jango. Before the Nubian could throw, however, Nute had hurled his spear, catching the officer in the neck.
Maul, immersed in combat, still managed to see this. He hesitated for a moment and in his distraction, was nearly cut down by an axe-wielding Nubian. They fought, and after Maul had dispatched the man, he looked back toward the glittering figure of Jango. Something was making him uneasy.
The Kaminoans were getting closer to the elite Theeds now, and Obi-Wan finally noticed them. He noticed the beautiful armor of their leader, noticed the leader hop nimbly from the path of a charging Nubian and cut the man down.
"Jango," he muttered to himself.
Obi-Wan went after Jango. His Theeds, clustered about him protectively, moved in that direction as well.
The two elite forces clashed and Obi-Wan's kaadu stumbled in the deep sand. Obi-Wan abandoned his mount, leaping down to the beach and running for the shining warrior. A Kaminoan intercepted him. Their battle was quick-- Obi-Wan killed him with a saber thrust.
Now he was face to face (or face to helmet) with the figure of glorious Jango. The two men, breathing heavily from the combat, stood still for a moment, regarding each other.
And then they fought, Jango interchanging between his twin pistols and a borrowed saber that he had found on the floor. He was quicker than Obi-Wan and lighter on his feet, swinging again and again.
But Obi-Wan fought patiently, parrying the blows, waiting for an opening. He ducked and the saber swung over his head. Jango had swung it so hard that he could not protect himself and Obi-Wan seized the advantage, swinging quickly and just catching Jango beneath his helmet.
Everything seemed to stop. Though the battle was still underway and thousands of individuals were still fighting for their lives, a collective gasp of despair came from the Imperials.
Maul, stunned, stared at the body on the ground. Obi-Wan stood next to the fallen man and wedged the tip of his now deactivated saber handle inside the silver and blue helmet, lifting it off.
Boba was dying, trying to breathe as his throat flooded with blood. His eyes were panicked. Obi-Wan stared down at the dying boy, at the blood-soaked seashell necklace and for a moment they stared at each other, the victorious prince of Naboo and the dying boy in the sand. The sounds of Boba's gurgling breaths were visibly upsetting the prince.
With an anguished cry, he re-activated his saber and brought it down.
The boy's suffering had been ended.
oOo
Now Obi-Wan saw a stunned Maul standing nearby. The Imperials had pushed the Nubians back from the beach, onto the grassy inland plains, but now combat had halted.
"Enough for one day?" Obi-Wan said and Maul nodded in agreement.
"Arms down! Back to the city!" Obi-Wan ordered Captain Panaka, who relayed the order. Maul also relayed the call to his men.
"Arms down! Arms down! To the beach!"
Maul deactivated his double saber and approached, crouching by Boba and closing the dead boy's frightened eyes.
Obi-Wan and Maul looked at each other for a moment.
"He was his son," Maul revealed at last, and it was clear that Obi-Wan was deeply sorry for what he had done. He wished he could turn back time and stop himself.
But what's done is done, so Obi-Wan mounted his kaadu and led his men home. The two sides retreated and Nute hurried over to kneel beside the dead boy.
"We were going to fly home at noon," he sniffed.
"I don't think anyone's flying home now," Maul sighed.