Chapter 14. Battle
Darth Maul spun around in surprise and anger. Obi-Wan stood there, blue lightsaber drawn, and faced his nemesis. Qui-Gon was right next to him.
Darth Maul winced as if in pain. I wondered if it was the cut on his shoulder that Ben gave him. Maybe Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon knew Crucitorn and were making his wound feel even more painful. It looked like Maul had quickly patched up his injury. But he couldn't fight all three Jedi Masters if he was injured. Although I didn't see Mace Windu anywhere. Perhaps he was still dealing with the warriors Maul brought with him.
Maul probably shouldn't try to fight three Jedi Masters on a good day. If he had any sense, he would retreat now. But Maul may not have known Master Windu was there. Even if he did, he was so pompous that he most likely believed he could defeat three Jedi Masters at once anyway.
"We don't have to fight now," Obi-Wan said evenly. "You and your people can leave this place in peace." Obi-Wan was actually trying to talk to him. I knew he was trying to stop this battle before it began, probably to protect the Padawans and Palpatine. I admired his perseverance, but I knew he could not reason with Darth Maul. His desire for revenge was too strong. There would be no negotiating with him.
Darth Maul laughed harshly. "I shall never leave here until I have killed you."
Part of me longed to fight alongside my father against Darth Maul. But another part of me warned that Maul would attempt to use me as an advantage against Obi-Wan. I worried I would be more of a hindrance than a help, and that I would distract him while he was fighting. It would probably be better if I could stay out of it, although I didn't know if that was possible.
If Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were worried about us, it would interfere with their ability to focus. We were positioned right behind them now, out of the line of direct fire. Come to think of it, it would probably help them if all three of us were not involved in the fight. We were relatively well protected from this position.
Although how could I possibly not get embroiled in this conflict if Obi-Wan needed my help … My instincts told me that I would have some part to play in this duel.
"It's your choice," Obi-Wan said calmly, adopting the Soresu opening stance. He held his lightsaber back and looked for all the world perfectly undisturbed by what was about to unfold. Next to him, Qui-Gon was already in the opening stance of Ataru.
"I'm ready for my rematch," Qui-Gon declared, raising his green lightsaber.
I stared at him in surprise. Qui-Gon was not known for his witty repartee before battles.
"It will be a pleasure to kill you again, Jedi," Darth Maul snarled. "Do you really think you can challenge me?" He unleashed his lightsaber directly at Qui-Gon's head. Qui-Gon quickly blocked his attack, flipped, and struck at Maul's back. They were fighting, one on each side of Maul, just as they had in The Phantom Menace.
It would be different this time, I told myself as I watched the duel. They were out on the open plain, with plenty of space to fight, which was good for Ataru. They weren't trapped inside a narrow space like the power generator in the Theed Royal Palace on Naboo. And Obi-Wan had learned so much since that last fight against Darth Maul. It would be ok, I kept telling myself as I listened to the hum and swish of lightsabers. Beside me, Ben and Palpatine watched the fight intently. All of our lightsabers were drawn, and we stood tensely on the sidelines, watching and waiting, ready to act and jump in if need be.
Obi-Wan dodged a vicious strike, then spun and struck at Maul's chest. Maul successfully blocked him and parried with the two Masters. He swung his lightsaber with brutal force.
Darth Maul was clearly on the offensive, while Obi-Wan played defense. True to form, Obi-Wan was fighting with Soresu, although I expected he would throw in some Ataru and Shii-Cho for good measure. Qui-Gon, of course, was using Ataru. I prayed he would have better results with it in the present moment than he had in the past against Darth Maul. And Darth Maul was fighting with Ataru, as well as what I thought was Juyo, the very aggressive lightsaber form favored by dark siders.
Obi-Wan continued to patiently block Maul's strikes. Time after time, he dodged and blocked. He seemed to be biding his time until he could find the perfect moment to strike. Qui-Gon leaped around the plain, forcefully striking at Maul and attempting to knock him down. He was clearly trying to put a speedy end to this duel. I wondered if their strategy was to tire Maul out, and then quickly strike when his defense lapsed.
For his part, Maul seemed to be in no hurry to end the duel. He clearly relished the fight, swinging his double-bladed red lightsaber around with dizzying speed. He showed no signs of tiring any time soon. His injury must not be that serious, because it wasn't slowing him down.
Maul wielded his lightsaber ferociously, attempting to knock both Masters down. They jumped and leaped and blocked. Maul roared with frustration.
Then he decided to try another tactic. He Force jumped away from both Masters and used telekinesis to throw huge boulders at them. The boulders were in front of a nearby cave. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both successfully dodged the boulders, and moved closer to Maul, lightsabers ready.
Qui-Gon attacked first. He aimed a swift, powerful swing at Maul's side. Maul blocked it and leaped away again, applying his famous acrobatic skill as he moved across the plain. Obi-Wan was in front of him in an instant, swinging at his legs.
Maul seemed surprised by how fast Obi-Wan had reached him. He barely blocked the strike. He spun to quickly block Qui-Gon's hit, and then jumped away again.
Qui-Gon easily followed him and attacked him with a wide swing from above. Maul blocked him and countered with a barrage of strong blows that slowly drove Qui-Gon back. But Obi-Wan was there, and the two Jedi managed to prevent the blows from doing any damage. They attacked together, fighting directly in front of Maul, and then Obi-Wan leaped over Maul's head and forced him to block a strike at his back.
The Sith Lord continued to duel the two Jedi Masters. He was more than holding his own against Qui-Gon's unrelenting offense and Obi-Wan's impenetrable defense. Obi-Wan was managing to get in some good swings of his own. But Maul countered and fought with a fervor and ruthlessness that drove him on, prolonging the duel and making him fight even harder.
Qui-Gon fought well on the open plain. He had plenty of space to perform all the intricate acrobatics of Ataru. I was surprised and also impressed to see forty-eight-year-old Qui-Gon flipping and cartwheeling around the plain, because he certainly had not done that in Episode I. Most of the time, he fought directly on the ground. But when the moves were warranted, he clearly still had the skill and stamina to perform them. He must have learned from his first fight with Darth Maul and was utilizing the Force to help him perform these difficult actions.
Qui-Gon flourished his lightsaber as he blocked Maul's latest strike, then countered with several short hits of his own, repeatedly lashing out at Maul with his lightsaber. The last hit proved to almost be too much for Maul. He teetered to one side, then jumped away just before Qui-Gon would have struck him.
Maul lashed out again at both Masters. He aimed a high blow at Qui-Gon, who backflipped onto one of the boulders, and then jumped down with his lightsaber raised. Maul seemed startled by this approach, and again barely got out of the way in time.
Clearly, Maul had not expected Qui-Gon to attack him in that manner. Maybe that was the way to defeat him, I thought as I watched the duel. The element of surprise was going to be key.
While Maul fought Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon spun gracefully, and again leaped at Maul from atop the boulder. He catapulted through the air and speedily swung at Maul.
"He got him!" I shouted triumphantly.
But no, I realized a second later. At the last possible moment, Maul evaded his lightsaber, grabbed Qui-Gon's arms, and flipped him over his head. Qui-Gon somersaulted on the ground and nearly collided with Obi-Wan. He quickly jumped to his feet, and the two Jedi faced Maul again.
Maul ran so fast that his red and black figure was difficult to see. All I knew was that he was charging them, determined to strike them both down. I watched anxiously as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon engaged Maul again.
Qui-Gon slashed at Maul and missed.
"Getting tired, old man?" Maul mocked him. He spun his double-bladed lightsaber around himself with dizzying speed.
"Show off," I muttered. Just like Vader.
"Perhaps you should retreat now, while you have the chance," Maul added contemptuously, his lip curling.
"I'm just getting warmed up," Qui-Gon replied.
Ben, Palpatine, and I exchanged worried glances. Both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were fighting exceptionally well, and I hadn't expected a fight with Darth Maul to be easy, but we weren't comfortable with how long the battle was taking. And where was Master Windu? His arrival would certainly turn the tide decisively in their favor.
Darth Maul and Qui-Gon continued to fight aggressively, striking at each other and flipping all over the place. Obi-Wan was focused on pure defense, continuously blocking Darth Maul's blows. He seemed to be leading him somewhere else on the plain, though to where I could not say. There was nothing but flat, open land all around us. There didn't seem to be a high ground defense Obi-Wan could employ out here. But he must have conserved his energy. He was fighting every bit as hard as he had in the beginning. At least Soresu had staying power. Obi-Wan was good at carefully controlling his emotions. I was certain he would continue to restrain himself and wait for Maul to make a mistake. It was inevitable, I thought. Even though Maul was clever and calculated, and surely had learned from his mistake from the Battle of Naboo. Maul couldn't resist boasting and becoming overconfident for very long.
Obi-Wan spun and almost knocked Maul's lightsaber from his hands. Maul quickly recovered and brutally struck back at him.
Obi-Wan's defense was flawless, until … Maul's aggressive maneuvers finally enabled him to gain the upper hand.
Obi-Wan blocked Maul's lightsaber from crashing down on his head. Maul kicked him with his cybernetic leg and Obi-Wan stumbled, momentarily losing his footing. He fell to his knees. Qui-Gon appeared to be tiring; his strength was waning. He wasn't moving as quickly. Maul Force pushed Qui-Gon back and prepared to swing at Obi-Wan's chest.
It was like everything moved in slow motion. I saw what was about to happen and knew I would be too slow, too late to save him.
"Dad!" I cried, reaching toward him. I realized my mistake too late.
Darth Maul whirled in astonishment, staring at me. Then an evil grin spread across his face as he lunged for me. "Now I shall have my revenge."
"No!" Obi-Wan cried. He was at my side in an instant, blocking Darth Maul's powerful strike that almost cut me in half. He pushed me behind him. Swirling his lightsaber, he created a protected spot around himself. His lightsaber never stopped moving, and he kept the blade close to his body. For the moment, I felt sheltered from Maul's attacks.
"Stay away from her!" Obi-Wan shouted. I felt his anger and fear as he spun his lightsaber and swung it sharply and precisely at Darth Maul.
I scrambled out of the way, moving closer to Ben and Palpatine as Obi-Wan and Maul fought. Maul was completely preoccupied with Obi-Wan and seemed to have forgotten about me for the moment.
Maul was ready and instantly swung at him. However, this time Obi-Wan was quicker. He dodged the hit and kicked him right in the face. Maul grunted and fell backwards, dropping his lightsaber. Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber, but Maul used the Force to pull his lightsaber to him, jumping to his feet and attacking Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan deflected Maul's hit and instantly counterattacked with a swift slash at Maul's arms. Maul blocked him and swung at Obi-Wan's midsection. Obi-Wan dodged this blow with a tight turn, and quickly raised his lightsaber to meet Maul's next strike.
Obi-Wan was energized and primed to strike. Maul had threatened me and now Obi-Wan was fighting with barely controlled anger.
At this point, I didn't know if Obi-Wan still intended to disarm and capture Maul, or if he was livid enough to want to kill him.
"Another Kenobi," Darth Maul growled, glowering at me malevolently. Obi-Wan's blue eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to me.
"You'll never get the chance to blind Kanan!" I shouted at Darth Maul. I wasn't foolish enough to challenge Maul with my lightsaber. But I could do something that he couldn't. I could build something to destroy him. Perhaps I would build Marshmallow, the snow-monster from Frozen. Maybe he would eat Maul. I would build bombs and throw them at him. No, I would build a cage around him that was strong enough to withstand his lightsaber. Or a huge gun that I could use to shoot him …
Trembling with rage and fear, I began to move my hands. I would show him and wipe that smirk off his face. But nothing happened. I scrunched my forehead in concentration and tried again. Still nothing. My building powers weren't working!
I was horrified and afraid. What was wrong? Why couldn't I use them? How was I going to protect myself, my father, and my friends if I didn't have my greatest power?
Frustrated, I aimed a strong Force push at Darth Maul. He flew through the air and landed sprawled on the ground. He got up right away and smiled, evidently delighted with my aggressive display of power. "That's it, girl," Maul said encouragingly. "Use your anger. Use your hate! Don't be afraid to use the Force as a weapon."
"Don't try to turn me!" I shouted at him.
"I can read your mind," Darth Maul told me smugly. "You're afraid of losing your father. And … he is afraid of losing you." He sounded triumphant, as if he had just discovered Obi-Wan's prime weakness, the one that would enable him to finally defeat him. "I wonder what lengths he would go to in order to save you."
I tried to ignore Maul's jeers. I just knew we had to keep Darth Maul away from the Valley of the Jedi. There was no telling what horror he would unleash if he discovered that power.
"And I sense your end is near," Obi-Wan replied. His usual calm demeanor had returned. "I will never turn into you."
"The great Obi-Wan Kenobi is up on his high horse," Darth Maul spoke disparagingly. "It's time to knock you down." He swung savagely at Obi-Wan, who methodically and effortlessly turned his blade aside.
The battle had been going on for a while now. Obi-Wan was momentarily fighting Maul alone. Where was Qui-Gon? I whipped around, concerned, and spotted him sitting by Ben and Palpatine. Was he sneaking in a quick meditation to regain his strength? No, that wasn't it. Maul's Force push had knocked Qui-Gon to the ground and left him temporarily stunned. Now he leaped to his feet and rejoined the fight.
Qui-Gon attacked Maul from behind, but Maul blocked the hit. "You shall not disrupt my plans," Darth Maul sneered as, once again, he Force pushed Qui-Gon. This time Qui-Gon's head smashed against a boulder. I spotted him lying motionless on the ground. Ben and Palpatine rushed over to him. Was he seriously hurt?
I heard a cry of dismay and fury next to me. Before I knew what was happening, Palpatine moved closer to defend Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan was struggling with Darth Maul, who was about to strike Qui-Gon.
Palpatine jumped and blocked Maul's blow before he hit Qui-Gon's leg. "You will not touch him," Palpatine declared, struggling to keep the panic out of his voice.
"You can't save him now," Maul taunted Palpatine.
"I won't let you win!" Palpatine yelled, clearly furious. He aimed an overhand strike at Maul's head. Maul easily blocked the blow.
"You're certainly persistent, boy," Maul commented, waving his hand as if batting away a pesky fly. "Now get out of my way before I am forced to kill you."
Qui-Gon was already on his feet. Palpatine jumped to the side as Darth Maul swung at him, only to be met with Qui-Gon's blade.
"That was a cheap shot," Qui-Gon said. "Is there nothing that is beneath you?"
"Don't try to use a mind trick on me, Jedi," Maul scoffed. "You know it won't work."
"Attacking a youngling," Qui-Gon said with steel in his voice. "That's not very brave of you, is it?"
Maul blinked rapidly, as if he couldn't believe Qui-Gon was lecturing him on proper dueling etiquette.
"You are too emotional," Qui-Gon continued coolly. "That is your weakness. This, and your conceit, will lead to your defeat."
Maul roared in outrage and struck wildly and viciously. Qui-Gon had regained his strength and seemed to have a renewed vigor as he attacked first from the front and then the side. Maul's threatening Palpatine seemed to have transformed the dynamic of the fight. It changed something, unleashed something inside Qui-Gon. If possible, he fought even harder, but still carefully and composedly. He was in complete control of his emotions.
Obi-Wan jumped and landed straight in front of Maul. Qui-Gon was right behind Maul. The two Masters made eye contact. I saw Obi-Wan make an imperceptible nod. I ascertained that they were using telepathy. I wondered what they were saying to each other.
"Emma! Go!" Obi-Wan shouted. "Get that weapon out of here! We'll handle this."
"That's what he said the last time!" I shouted back, but I did as I was told and ran, Ben and Palpatine right behind me. We reached the hill and paused. Was this where Obi-Wan had been trying to lead Maul earlier?
At that exact moment, we passed Mace Windu, running to help Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.
Finally! I wondered what had kept him. Mace turned around and shouted at us.
"What did he say?" I asked.
"It sounded like 'wait here,'" Ben replied.
"We should try to get closer to the ship," Palpatine said. "It will be safer."
"Let's get down the hill," I shouted to my companions.
At the bottom of the hill, we had a surprise waiting for us.
At least thirty heavily armed fighters stood in front of us. They were what remained of the fifty warriors Maul brought with him. A few of them opened fire. I blocked the shots with my lightsaber. Using the Force, I lifted several nearby rocks and threw them at the fighters. They swerved to avoid the rocks. I did get some of them, I thought with satisfaction.
I wished Obi-Wan had already taught me the mind trick. I would have persuaded them to drop their weapons and surrender. I could have used it right about now, although I wasn't sure it would work on all of them.
Ben, Palpatine, and I continued to deflect the blaster shots. One fighter wore Mandalorian armor. They must be part of the Shadow Collective or Crimson Dawn.
Ben very quickly moved his lightsaber around himself, deflecting a volley of shots. He pivoted, gripping his lightsaber tightly, and a few shots bounced right back to the fighters. One of them screamed and fell, clutching his leg. Next to me, Palpatine took a step forward, as though he were ready to rush headlong into the group of fighters.
The Jedi Masters had thinned the ranks of the fighters. But there were still too many of them. Plus, they had brought one tank with them. How were we going to get out of this alive?
Suddenly, the fighters yelled and began to scatter. Gunfire was raining down on them. Someone was shooting at them! I felt heartened by this new development. It must be the three Jedi Masters, come to our rescue.
But it wasn't them. It was Catman.
He was sitting in the seat of the tank, which was pointed straight at Darth Maul's fighters. He fired.
"Where did he learn to do that?" Ben shouted at me, deftly deflecting another round of blaster fire.
"No idea," I yelled back. I was just glad he hadn't listened to me and stayed in the ship.
A Mandalorian warrior was fighting with Catman for control of the tank. Catman hissed at him and scratched his face with his sharp claws. The Mandalorian yelled and cried out in pain, holding his face. Catman assumed control of the weapon and began to fire again. Another Mandalorian grabbed him from behind and threw him off the vehicle.
Catman chirped loudly at me. I followed his gaze. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were fast approaching, lightsabers drawn.
Ben, Palpatine, Catman, and I ran to stand behind Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.
Obi-Wan quickly spun his lightsaber around himself, once again creating that impassable barrier so the gunfire could not touch us. I heard cries as a few of the attackers fell. Qui-Gon easily blocked the blaster bolts and began to move forward, dodging heavy fire. He used wide, vast movements as he struck at the fighters. Several of them fell to the ground. Sweeping past them, he flipped high in the air and landed directly in the seat of the tank, knocking down the fighter who was positioned there.
I heard shouting from above us and turned to see Darth Maul running toward us. Mace Windu was right behind him, charging down the hill, purple lightsaber drawn.
Mace moved rapidly toward Darth Maul, dignified and grim-faced. Darth Maul faced him with a derisive smile on his face.
"Now he'll use Vaapad," Ben said to me. "Have no fear," he added, seeing the look on my face. "Master Windu is always in complete control of his emotions. He knows how to use his aggression and the unpleasant sides of himself without being overcome by it. He'll be fine. Maul won't, though," he added with satisfaction. "You're going to watch a true master of Vaapad, finding a perfect balance between the light and dark sides of the Force."
I hope you're right, I thought as I watched the Jedi Master and the Sith Lord silently regard each other. I knew Master Windu was extremely disciplined and had been practicing Vaapad for a long time. I truly hoped he could not be tainted by the dark side.
"I'm finally going to get to see him use it," Ben said excitedly.
"Aren't you at all worried about him?" I asked Ben incredulously.
"Of course I am," he replied. Now he seemed cautiously optimistic. "But I know my Master. You'll see just how powerful Vaapad is, and how powerful it makes him."
Darth Maul and Mace Windu circled each other. They both looked furious and formidable. Then Maul flipped and landed exactly in front of Mace. His red lightsaber clashed with Mace's purple one.
Darth Maul was going to have a very tough battle with Master Windu, I thought as I watched them. After all, Mace fought with Vaapad. Not only would he use his own inner darkness, but Maul's as well. He would take the hate and anger that Maul fought with and turn it against him, growing even stronger and more powerful. He had the edge in this battle. Through Vaapad, he would be able to read and understand Maul perfectly.
Mace's lightsaber moved in a blur around him. It looked like Mace was attacking Maul from every direction. Again and again, he struck directly at Maul, forcing the Sith Lord to move backwards and oftentimes jump to avoid being struck by Mace. They smashed their lightsabers against each other, moving with lightning speed. Mace's lightsaber whirled around him, perfectly defending him from Maul's attacks. He swiftly countered with his own. Mace was moving so fast that it looked like he was using more than one lightsaber. His arms twisted and turned around him at a breathtaking pace, and I could hardly even see his lightsaber. He struck rapidly at Maul. At the last minute, Maul cartwheeled away from Mace.
Mace's focus was unparalleled. He barely took a breath before he was pulling Maul toward him. Maul broke away from the Force pull with a powerful flip. He aimed a vicious kick at Mace's head with his cybernetic leg, but Mace evaded him.
Mace was well-known for his passionate views and self-control. As I watched him fight Maul, I felt my doubts dissipate. I was no longer worried about Mace. In fact, I couldn't imagine him yielding to anyone or anything. I could sense his absolute mastery of the form and his feelings. He might enjoy fighting, and use this feeling in combat, but the dark side could not engulf him. He would remain on the light side.
Indeed, Mace was a true master of Vaapad. I watched as he energetically and quickly struck at Maul's arms. However, Maul was quite lithe and gracefully turned aside these powerful attacks. He flipped away from Mace, and then countered with speedy and strong hits of his own. Mace swiftly dodged all of these blows.
I watched as Maul boldly jumped directly at Mace. Mace jumped high in the air to meet him. Their lightsabers clashed. Mace struck hard at Maul's lightsaber, trying to knock it out of his hands. Maul managed to hold onto it. They landed several feet away from each other. At the same time, they held out their hands and created Force Waves. They were both thrown backwards and dropped their lightsabers. The power of the Force Waves knocked Ben, Palpatine, Catman, and I back as well. Before I hit the ground, I felt my father's arms holding me steady. I looked at him. I had been so engrossed in Mace's duel with Darth Maul that I had almost forgotten he and Qui-Gon had been fighting Maul's warriors. They were nowhere in sight. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon must have successfully routed them.
Catman shrieked and landed in a heap at my feet. I picked him up and held him close, murmuring softly to him and trying to calm him down. I reassured myself that we were all ok and resumed watching the duel. Or the duel-turned-Force fight.
Mace recovered first. He used a Force pull to regain his lightsaber, and then flipped so that he was standing right in front of Maul. Mace stopped him before Maul could reach his lightsaber.
Mace punched Maul squarely in the nose. I heard a loud cracking sound. Blood dripped from Maul's nose.
Maul howled in pain and fell to the ground, failing to reclaim his lightsaber. It was over. Master Windu had defeated him.
"Surrender," Mace demanded, his lightsaber at Maul's throat.
"I … surrender," Maul replied meekly. I stared hard at him, certain he was up to something.
"Obi-Wan," Mace called as the other two Jedi Masters approached. His eyes never left Maul's face. "Bring me the handcuffs. Then send a transmission to Yoda. Let him know we have captured Darth Maul. We will bring him back to Coruscant so he can stand trial."
Just then, one of Maul's warriors appeared. He grabbed Palpatine. Palpatine struggled and almost got free, but the man held a gun to his head.
"Let Lord Maul go," the man said in a gravelly voice. "Or the kid dies. You can try to save him, but I bet your Jedi skills can't heal a bullet to the head."
"Release him," Obi-Wan said in a resigned tone.
"No," Mace said firmly. "We cannot allow Maul to escape."
"Youngling Cohen is not expendable," Qui-Gon said in a firm voice.
"We have the secret cloning machine," Mace said calmly.
I stared at him, horrified. I didn't want Maul to escape either, but would he actually sacrifice Palpatine to ensure it? We did have the machine, so maybe we could bring Palpatine back, but there were no guarantees. What if the machine didn't work this time? Just like my building powers hadn't worked …
Obi-Wan walked over to Mace and spoke in a low tone. Mace sighed quietly and shook his head. But he lowered his lightsaber.
Maul jumped up and lifted Palpatine up in a Force choke.
"Stop it!" I screamed at him.
"What's your choice, Jedi? Me or the kid?" Maul demanded.
"Go," Mace said roughly.
Maul dropped Palpatine, who fell to the ground. Qui-Gon went over to him and gently helped him to his feet.
Maul retrieved his lightsaber and waved his hand in mock salute at the three Jedi Masters. "Until we meet again," he called. He turned to me and grinned. "Farewell, Lady Emma. I'll see you again soon, I'm sure." Maul turned, and quick as a flash he was gone.
"That Maul is a real thorn in our side," Mace said, watching him leave. He was clearly irked by the outcome. "I should have killed him instead of giving him an option to surrender."
"You did the right thing, Mace," Obi-Wan said quietly.
"Nevertheless," Mace said grimly, "he is a Sith Lord and is nothing but trouble. The next time I encounter him, he won't be so lucky."
I turned to Palpatine. "Are you ok?"
Palpatine had fully recovered from his ordeal. "I'm fine."
"You were very brave, young one," Qui-Gon told Palpatine, clapping him on the shoulder.
Palpatine visibly glowed at Qui-Gon's praise.
Next, I observed my father. I was anxious for a rundown on our mission.
"I can't believe Maul escaped yet again," I said. "I wonder what he's going to plan now. At least he didn't get the machine or learn about the Valley of the Jedi."
"We were close to the Valley of the Jedi," Obi-Wan said, indicating the flatland with a broad sweep of his hand. He gave me his binoculars. Over the hill, I saw the plain where we had fought Maul. Beyond that, over the mountains, was the monument built by the ancient Jedi.
"What?" I was shocked. "You mean we just fought a battle in the Valley of the Jedi?"
"Not directly in the Valley," Obi-Wan replied. "As you can see, the Valley is located beyond the plain where Qui-Gon and I fought Maul."
"Did you hear the voices of the spirits? Did you free the souls of the Jedi?"
"Souls?" Obi-Wan shook his head. "No."
So, there would be another battle here in the future. It looked like Kyle Katarn was going to become famous after all.
"I'll send a transmission to Master Yoda and let him know that we have retrieved the weapon," Obi-Wan said. He took the Jedi beacon device from his utility belt. "I'll meet you back at the ship."
Our group slowly journeyed back to the ship. When my father returned, he gave me a big hug. I warmly returned his embrace.
"I led you into danger, Emma," Obi-Wan said, brushing my hair away from my face. "I am responsible for your safety, and you could have been killed." He looked upset.
I tried to reassure him. "None of this was your fault. We had a mission. You did protect me from Maul. And you can't always save me from everything."
"There will come a time when I can't protect you, but that is not today. And you have learned much in a short amount of time. I am proud of you, Emma. Jedi twice your age would have a difficult time with many things that you faced today."
"All of you were a big help to us today. Emma, you helped save your friends. And you saved my life," Obi-Wan said quietly. "Maul would have struck me down if you hadn't revealed that I was your father. It distracted him long enough for me to get back on my feet."
I hadn't thought of that. At the time, I had considered it a mistake to reveal that information to Maul. But looking at it from his perspective, I realized it had been a good move.
"Plus, you brought Qui-Gon back to us." He gave me a joyous look.
I was pleased with his reaction. I knew how much Obi-Wan loved Qui-Gon.
"Not only did you find the secret cloning machine, but you protected the weapon from Darth Maul," Obi-Wan continued.
"I felt so much anger," I admitted. "When he almost killed us and Palpatine."
"We both felt rage," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "But the important thing is that, in the end, we were able to let that rage go."
Yes, this mission had been fruitful in teaching many life lessons, I thought.
We had completed our mission. It was time to go home.
I was going to see Master Yoda at once. I had a lot to discuss with him.
