Author Note: Ok here it is guys! Obi-Wan vs Jango! And does Obi-Wan die? I don't even know myself. I wrote two endings to the fight, and posted one here, but I can't remember which it is! So I can't even give anything away myself! Well, you'll just have to read for yourself! And so will I...
- goes of to read the ending, so that she knows which version of the next chapter to post -
Obi-Wan walked down the long staircase descending from the walls. He stopped at the massive city gates as the gatemen began pulling the long chains that opened the gates.
As he waited, he sensed someone behind him. Turning round, he saw that Padme was standing ten feet away, her unearthly beauty greater than ever. As the heavy gates rose, Padme and Obi-Wan stared at each other, never blinking, never looking away.
Finally the gate lifted and Obi-Wan bowed to Padme as he fitted his helmet on his head. He left the city with that one vision imprinted firmly in his head. Suddenly he was no longer afraid to die for such a young and beautiful woman. Padme watched him go with growing unease and certainty. She knew he wouldn't come back, but how could she ever darelook Sabe in the face after this? After all, it was her fault that Obi-Wan was marching out to his death.
oOo
Obi-Wan walked towards Jango, who was waiting for him. Everything was very quiet and even the people on the walls were hushed. Thousands and thousands of Imperials now lined the high dunes, making the valley an enormous amphitheater ringed with spectators from the dunes to the walls of Naboo. Jango stood motionless. The two men, alone on the great field. Obi-Wan stopped twenty feet away from Jango and cleared his throat.
"I've seen this moment in my dreams."
Jango remained expressionless, as he stared at the prince.
"I'll make a pact with you," Obi-Wan continued in a loud, clear voice so that everyone could hear. "With the gods as our witnesses. Let us pledge that the winner will allow the loser all the proper funeral rituals."
"There are no pacts between lions and men," Jango growled, pulling off his helmet and tossing is aside in an insulting gesture, impugning Obi-Wan's combat skills.
"Now you know who you're fighting."
Obi-Wan paused a moment before removing his own helmet and tossing it aside aswell.
"I thought it was you I was fighting yesterday. I wish it had been you. But I gave the dead boy the honor he --"
"You gave him the honor of death," Jango cut in. "You won't have eyes tonight. You won't have ears, or a tongue. You'll wander the underworld, blind, deaf, and dumb. And all the dead will know: this is Obi-Wan, the fool who thought he killed Jango."
Jango drew the Sith blade he had re-stolen from Sidious' tent, whilst Obi-Wan drew his own glowing blue blade.
They charged.
Everyone around the valley had seen extraordinary fighting before, but no-one had ever seen this -- a prowess so extreme as to be hypnotic. Two better combatants had never clashed. All their lives, all their training and past battles, had led to this moment. Nothing was wasted. No flourishes or balletic leaps or spins. Every swing was a death blow countered. The rapidity of the exchange was breathless. The blades hissed as they split the air. They swung with such power that sparks flew whenever one blade scraped the other. They moved so fast that they were often just blurs of colour.
Then Obi-Wan lunged forward and from the Imperials' angle it appeared that he had skewered Jango. Obi-Wan's face was inches from Jango's, but Jango appeared unperturbed. Obi-Wan looked down to find that Jango had trapped him, allowing Obi-Wan's blade to miss his side by inches and then clamping down on Obi-Wan's blade arm. Obi-Wan tried to yank his saber free but couldn't. Jango stabbed at Obi-Wan's face and Obi-Wan ducked at the last moment, the saber point puncturing the air above his head.
Jango released Obi-Wan and took another mighty swing.
oOo
Sabe sat atop the wall with Ben, her back against the wall. She couldn't bare to watch, but Ben was blissfully unaware, as he gurgled happily and played with his mother's long hair.
oOo
Jango, sensing the advantage, moved in a step too close and Obi-Wan saw an opening, slashing just as Jango jumped back at the last possible moment. Obi-Wan's blade gouged out a long strip of metal from Jango's breastplate. The red hot strip dropped to the floor and both men swung again. Their sabers locked and for a moment everything was still. Jango's face was inches from Obi-Wan's. Obi-Wan was sweating and breathing heavily, but Jango wasn't.
And then, Jango shoved Obi-Wan and relaunched his attack. While Obi-Wan still fought ably, he was clearly tiring.
As Jango's blows forced Obi-Wan back, the Prince stepped on a rock, tripped and fell. Jango stood above him, snarling.
"Get up, Prince of Naboo. I won't let a stone take my glory."
Obi-Wan stood again, knowing his energy was fading fast. So he spent everything on one last try.
He charged, swinging with explosive fury, putting all his might into each blow.
When the barrage was finished and Obi-Wan paused for a breath, he saw that Jango, unhurt, had parried everything.
Now Jango bored in, swinging. Obi-Wan blocked and blocked, weaving his blade into a defensive shield, but didn't have the stamina for a new assault.
And then Jango lunged. Obi-Wan raised his saber, but Jango's saber slashed the handle in half, rendering the weapon useless. The blood red blade plunged through the seven layers of leather, and tough hammered bronze of Obi-Wan's shoulder plate, and all the way out the other side.
Obi-Wan looked down at the blade as it slowly burnt its way through his flesh, then he looked back at Jango and saw that there was no mercy or remorse on the man's face. Jango pulled the blade back out again and Obi-Wan fell to the floor.