Author Note: Hmmm, still dunno what I'm gonna do about Jango. What do you guys think? Keep him, and make him change? Or kill him?
In Anakin's bedchamber, he was suiting up, ready for battle. Grabbing his lightsaber and a blaster pistol, he hung them from his belt while Padme watched from her position by the window.
The door opened and Sabe came in, carrying little Ben in her arms, his brown eyes darting about inquisitively.
"We have to run," she told them.
"Where?" Padme asked, her eyes never leaving Anakin who was now pulling on his black glove.
"I'll show you," Sabe replied, heading back for the door.
"Come, my love. Come with us," Padme asked Anakin as he fastened the final strap and flexed his fingers, making sure it was a tight fit.
oOo
Down in the streets, Maul battled his way, leading the Imperials against a contingent of half-armored Nubians. The Nubians were too dazed to offer much resistance and many were cut down before they had a chance to raise their weapons.
oOo
Sabe, carrying her baby and a lit torch, led Padme, Anakin, and a string of other women, children and elders down the staircase to the vine-tangled door, and then onto the secret tunnel. She pulled it open and showed them the inside, relaying Obi-Wan's instructions to them.
Obi-Wan was then carried up to them in a hover-stretcher. It was clear that he wanted to fight, but he was still too weak.
"It's a long walk," he admited, but this didn't bother Padme. She entered the tunnel boldly, and encouraged by her actions, the others followed. However, Anakin didn't. He remained outside the door.
"I stay," he told them.
"No --" Padme started to protest, but Anakin put one finger over her lips to silence her before explaining his choice.
"My father will never abandon the city. I can't leave him."
"The city is dead! They're burning it to the ground!" Padme replied at last, and there was a hint of anger, and annoyance in her voice at his stubborn-ness.
Anakin looked at the huddled refugees. They were a timid lot, terrified and weak. However, one boy looked braver and stronger than the rest, despite the fact that he was only fourteen. He was supporting his elderly father.
"What's your name?" Anakin asked him, and although shocked that the prince was addressing him, the boy answered.
"Han Solo, sir."
"Do you know how to use a saber?"
Han nodded and Anakin pulled out the blade of Naboo.
"The Blade of Naboo. I wasn't so good with it, but it's a fine saber. As long as it's in a Nubian's hand, our people have a future."
He handed the blade to Han, who ignited it and gazed at the vivid blue blade.
"Protect them, Han. Find them a new home. Help Obi-Wan to become a good king, like our father."
"I will," Han promised as he helped his father down the tunnel, the blade lighting the way.
Someone touched Anakin's arm and he jumped slightly as he turned to Sabe.
"Beru wasn't in her room," Sabe said anxiously.
"I'll find her," Anakin promised. Now he had a reason to go back, whether Padme wanted him to or not.
Sabe kissed him on the cheek, and he kissed Ben on his little bald head before the mother and child turned to lead the way down the tunnel. The Nubians followed and Han bowed to Anakin as he helped his father on their long journey to safety.
"I'll stay with you," Padme said, clutching Anakin's arm so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Anakin pushed her gently toward the door.
"Go," he encouraged, but Padme clung on even tighter.
"Don't leave me. Please don't leave me. Not now, not after we've come all this way!" She begged.
"How could you love me if I ran now?"
"Please --"
"We will be together again. In this world or the next, we will be together. Now go, please. Help my brother," he said gently, kissing her softly and pushing her through the door, closing it behind her and turning the key. He could hear her frantic scrabbling as she tried to open the door again, and forced himself to leave her, running back towards the battle.
oOo
Back inside the palace, Beru was running down corridor after corridor as cries from the massacre outside continued.
"Anakin? Sabe? Padme?" she called, and then stopped mid-stride as a a shaak rounded the corner and bolted towards her, eyes crazed, hollering madly. Beru backed against the wall and the terrified creature galloped past her.
oOo
"Beru! Beru!Jango called as he also ran through the corridors, scalling the high wall surrounding the palace and jumping to the other side. He was spotted by a Theed guard, who charged at him. Jango cracked him in the face with the hilt of his pistol and the guard fell at his feet. Jango grabbed him and hauled him to his feet, gun to his throat.
"Beru -- Where is she? WHERE IS SHE?"
"I don't know... please, I have a son," the guard begged, now no more than a quivering wreck. It is clear he was not a true soldier, just a volunteer guard who had been roped in at the last minute. Jango shoved him away.
"Then get him out of Theed," he snarled before rushing into the palace. The Guard, stunned to find himself alive, finally turned and ran away to find his son, knowing that he probably wouldn't get a second chance.
oOo
Maul and his men continued to fight their way up the palace stairs with the Nubians resisting heroically. They died heroically too.
Down below, Sidious stood behind his troops, hollering orders.
"No one escapes! No one! Especially not Obi-Wan! Find him and kill him!"
oOo
In the palace reception room, Panaka was standing with fifty of his men, the last line of defence.
He walked through their ranks, clasping hands with each man. No-one seemed to care that some of the soldiers were only half dressed. Some of them didn't even have any armour on, but all of them were raring to go, eager to defend their city to the last.
"You men are soldiers. Leading you has been an honor," Panaka yelled and was met with an answering roar from the soldiers.
Anakin ran into the hall, pistol in hand and Panaka smiled and clasped his hand.
"The Empire is waiting for us. I say, let them wait a little longer!"
The men roared again as the doors burst open and imperials spilled into the reception hall.
The Nubians attacked and for a few moments they drove the Imperials back. Anakin raised his pistol and fired. A Clone fell, an burn to his throat.
But too many Imperials were pouring through the doors now. The Nubians
fought bravely, especially Anakin, who fired quickly and accurately. Leaping onto a high ledge, he fired down on the clones from his vantage point.
Down below, Maul engaged Panaka and quickly killed the general with a stab to his gut. The surviving Nubians retreat farther into the palace, with Anakin following, still picking of guard after guard. When he heard Beru's frantic cries, he darted down a side tunnel.
oOo
In the temple beside the palace, dozens of Imperials charged into the hall, seizing whatever treasures they could carry and smashing whatever they couldn't.Yoda, armed with his green saber, rushed into the hall. He saw two Imperials grabbing small gold figurines from their wall shelves and raised his blade.
"Have you no honor? No respect for the gods?" He cried as he charged towards them. However, he had barely moved three feet when a spear, hurled through the air from behind, speared right through him, tearing through his back and emerging out of his chest.
The little green Master fell to the ground and groaned as the spear was pulled from him.
Turning over, he saw Sidious standing over him, smiling maliciously.
"I wanted you alive, old Master. I wanted you to watch your city burn."
"Please... the children... spare the innocents..." Yoda pleaded.
"Let fate decide who's innocent." And with that he turned and walked away, leaving the little old Master to die alone on the floor.
oOo
Beru continued to run up and up, into the gardens of the palace, looking for a friendly face. No one was in sight. She tried the lower gardens. Still no one. However, as she wandered the garden, apparently alone, she didn't notice the shadow standing in an archway of the burning palace, watching her...a figure who's robes were stained with Yoda's blood.
oOo
Back in the palace, Jango, ignoring the fire and smoke, continued to race through the palace, searching the faces of the terrified women he passed.
Beru! Beru!" he called frantically, but still no reply.
oOo
Beru was kneeling in the gardens, ignoring the inferno around her, when a voice broke the silence.
"Too late for prayer, princess," a voice said from the shadows. Beru knew who it was, but she didn't look up.
Sidious, angered by her attitude towards him, grabbed her long hair and pulled her to her feet. He held his saber to her throat and it was only then that she noticed two of his bodyguards standing behind him.
"Your parents should have taught you to stand for a king," he hissed into her ear and she sneered.
"They did. But I see no king around here."
"I almost lost this war because of your little romance. You'll be my slave on Coruscant. A Nubian princess scrubbing my floors. And at night --" he whispered. However, he never got to finish his sentence because Beru had pulled something out of her sleeve, which she drove into the side of his neck.
His eyes bulged, but she continued to ram the dagger deeper. Sidious fell to the ground, clutching at his neck and making awful gurgling and gagging noises as his thoat filled with blood.
The bodyguards stared at their dying Lord in disbelief, so Beru took the chance to run. However, the bodyguards pursued her. Beru stumbled and fell. She looked behind her as one of the bodyguards raised his sword, ready to split her in half.
Before he could bring down his sword, his head flew from his shoulders and as the man fell, Jango whirled around and dispatched the other bodyguard, Sidious' blade glittering in the moonlight.