The sound of deep war horns pealed across the Naboo plains. Thousands of pairs of feet thudded across the ground, sounding like rolling thunder. Bipedal mounts brayed as their riders urged them onwards.
From the swamps and the forests, thousands of Gungans marched towards where they would make their stand. Each warrior was clad in their ancestral armor of boiled leather and bone. Armed with spears and large turtle shell shields and decorated with vibrant warpaints, the Gungan army was a frightening sight to behold.
Scattered among the army were colossal four-legged lizards from Naboo's oldest and deepest forests. They bore something akin to saddles, but instead of riders, they carried large drums of metal and bone. Written on the drumheads were spirals of symbols that produced a shield ward when the drum was properly played. The lizards' movements were slow and shook the ground with each step.
Leading the entire army were the newly-appointed General Jar Jar and Captain Tarpals, riding forward with purpose. Captain Tarpals held up a hand and one of the hornblowers blew a halt signal. With a few more orders and signals, the army fell into formation, eager to begin the fight.
Five large blocks of infantry made up the majority of their forces. At the center of each blocks stood one of the colossal lizards, the drummers now taking positions. Along the flanks and at the front of the army were several groups of cavalry, while the rear held tall catapults and carriages filled with large orbs of blue caustic jellies.
Now that their own advance had halted, they were able to hear the rythmic approach of the Federation army. It was much closer than they had expected, but the Gungans were ready. Over the crest of a hill, one of the large overland transports appeared, pulled by mechanical beasts. Another soon followed, then another. Scores of these transports stopped in a line across the hill. Not long after, cannons and limbers drew up, forming a firing line.
Captain Tarpals called for the drumming to begin. The signal horn blew and at once, the deep booming sound of the drums began, perfectly synchronized. From the drumheads, the wards spread, covering the army in shimmering domes.
Atop the hill, the Federation army unlimbered its cannons and aimed them at the Gungans. The automaton colonel regarded the primitive army before it, devising a strategy in its metal head. "Open fire," it said in its tinny, monotone voice.
The thunderous sound of cannons boomed across the plains. Thick grey smoke temporarily obscured the Federation army as iron balls tore towards the Gungans. The cannoneers reloaded and fired again. Had there been any living creature in the midst of the cannon fire, they would have certainly been deafened. They kept the barrage going, they had of course been ordered to annihilate the natives.
In the palace grounds, two groups, one led by Queen Amidala and the other by Captain Panaka had reached opposite sides of the palace's gardens near the ennone stables. Between them, a unit of automata stood guard, unaware of any threat. Among them were three limbered cannons. Queen Amidala and Captain Panaka signalled one another, indicating they were ready.
Qui-Gon, in the group with the Queen, turned to Anakin. "Once we get inside, I want you to find a safe place to hide and stay there."
"Sure."
The groups moved into position and an archer readied his bow. A second soldier struck a flint and ignited the oil-soaked cloth wrapped around the arrowhead. The archer carefully aimed the arrow at the limber and the blackpowder it held. He loosed it and it sailed through the air, lodging itself in the side of the limber.
This all went unnoticed by the automata, who stood completely still. They had been ordered to stand guard, and as far as they knew, there was no threat. The fire took hold of the wood and soon, the limber was an inferno. The blackpowder ignited and exploded, sending flaming wood into another limber and detonating it as well.
The force of the blasts tore many of the automata apart and Captain Panaka's group moved in. Any automata not destroyed by the explosion charged at his group. Queen Amidala and her forces used this distraction to sneak in through the massive door and into the stables.
The explosions startled the Viceroy. "What was that?"
His advisor shrugged.
"The battle was supposed to be far from here!"
Darth Maul smiled widely. His prey had arrived. He left the two Nemoidians silently and made his way through the palace.
The automata guarding the stables charged as the Queen's group entered. Between the Jedi and the Queen's bodyguards, the mechanical soldiers didn't stand a chance. More and more came, though, threatening to overwhelm them.
Qui-Gon yelled for Anakin to get to cover and the boy ran off to hide in one of the ennone stalls.
After the second wave of automata began to falter, Queen Amidala ordered the riders in her group to get to the ennone and head towards the blockade.
It occurs to me that I have failed to elaborate on exactly what an ennone is. The yellow ennone is a flying reptile native to the mountains of Naboo. It is fairly closely related to several other tamed wyverns found throughout the world, but is easily identifiable by its bright yellow dorsal scales and pale grey underside. As with the other species, it is capable of spewing gouts of flaming liquids as either a defensive or offensive measure.
The riders mounted the reptiles they had been trained to fly. Even as the fight between the bodyguards and the automata continued, the ennone flew out the massive door at the far end of the stables. Anakin looked at the large wyvern whose stall he hid in. It looked back to him expectantly, as though it wanted Anakin to climb into its saddle.
Anakin looked out at the melee in time to see an automaton run a bodyguard through. The boy went cold at the sight of the bloody blade sticking out of the man's back. Before he had even realized he was doing so, he was climbing into the ennone's saddle. Anakin watched the battle unfold below wishing he could do anything to help.
Over the Naboo countryside, the ennone riders guided their mounts towards the sea. Dozens of them flew gracefully over the rolling plains and great forests. Lookouts in the blockade called out a warning of the incoming attack. Trapdoors open on the decks of the ships and large mechanical vultures flew out to intercept the riders.
Hordes of these vultures swooped and dove at the ennone, launching bolts from the ballistas on their backs. The ennone fought back, launching their flaming liquids at the vultures, burning the wings of the ones they hit.
The vultures fell easily, but it seemed that for every one that plummeted from the sky in flames, two more took its place. The ennone that avoided the mechanical birds' attacks made a run at the flagship, but were repelled by the ship's swivel guns. One of the ennone caught ball through its neck and tumbled from the sky.
On the ground, the colonel called for the cannons to cease fire. It waited as the gentle breeze cleared the thick sulfurous smoke. The Gungans still stood, with their wards holding strong. Piles of the shattered pieces of cannonballs lay scattered on the ground outside of the wards.
The Gungan army watched the Federation's transports nervously, unsure of what would come next. The cannon fire was unlike anything they had ever seen and their imaginations swirled with potential horrors their foes could unleash.
"Steady, steady," Jar Jar called, as much for himself as his troops.
The doors of the transports opened with the shrieking of unlubricated metal, but the Gungans could not hear this over the ward drums. Rank after rank of automata filed from the transports, then marched into a massive organized phalanx.
Far away, aboard the Federation flagship, a female Nemoidian stood in front of the glowing blue sphere. The time had come to begin the attack. She read aloud an incantation from the book of commands she had on a lectern in front of her. The sphere's blue glow pulsed twice.
All at once, the automata reached their skeletal arms over their shoulders and drew their swords and shields. At the flanks of the formation, the automaton lancer cavalry drew into position. The Gungan warriors gripped their weapons tighter. In the rear, the catapult crews loaded their weapons with the orbs of blue jellies.
The center of the automaton army began marching, then the next ranks out, then the next, advancing as a chevron. The perfectly synchronized footsteps grew louder as more automata advanced, to the point where it nearly drowned out the drums.
"Release," ordered Captain Tarpals. The war horn blared out a tune and the catapults launched their payloads. The jelly orbs flew out of the wards and irregularly landed amid the approaching automata. On impact, the orbs burst, splattering everything around them in corrosive goo. The jelly ate through the automata's metal shells and into their internal workings. They collapsed to the ground soon after, little more than hunks of useless metal.
As effective as these weapons were, the automata were far too numerous. As more fell in the charge, the phalanx loosened into a skirmish formation, looking like the squares of a dejarik board from above. Like this, it became far harder to hit as many automata with each orb.
The finally army reached the Gungan army's wards and walked straight though them, breaking into a charge. The Gungan front line readied their spears and shields, and the automata crashed into them. The Gungan line held and the automata soon bunched up, making them easy prey for the catapults again. The Gungans pushed back fiercely, impaling automata and forcing them back.
Back in the ennone stable, the Queen's forces had finally finished off the last of the automata. Captain Panaka looked around at the scattered metal remains and those few of his comrades that had fallen. "Now that we've gotten this far, we need to finish this. The Viceroy should be in the throne room. Red group! Blue group! With me!"
Anakin stood up, making the ennone turn to him. "Hey! Wait for me!"
Qui-Gon called up to him as he walked by. "Stay up there, Anakin you'll be safe."
"But I-"
"Stay on the ennone."
Some time during the fight, the large doors the Queen's forces had entered through had closed. As they were about to reopen them, they did so on their own, or so it appeared.
The doors opened to reveal a large man in black robes with his arms outstretched. His face was hidden by shadow, but he emanated an aura that made everyone's blood freeze.
The man reached up his hands and pushed his hood back. His skin was red and covered in a symmetrical pattern of black lines, like a tiger. The top of his head was crowned by upward pointing horns, and his yellow eyes burned with hatred. Perhaps the most unsettling thing about his visage was his teeth, long and pointed, spreading across his face with no cheeks to hide them.
Qui-Gon stepped forward, not taking his eyes off this terrifying man. "We'll handle this, your Highness."
"We'll go the long way around..." She led her bodyguards towards the side door that the automata reinforcements had come from earlier.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan walked towards the Sith, removing their brown robes and revealing the traditional tan Jedi clothing. At the same time, Darth Maul dropped his black robe.
Before Queen Amidala and her group had reached the door, three automekas rolled into the room and activated their wards. One fired a crossbow bolt that hit one of her bodyguards in his chest. She and her forces scattered to cover as more bolts flew at them.
Anakin watched helplessly as a bolt hit the stone pillar Queen Amidala and her decoy were taking cover behind. "I've got to do something!"
Darth Maul held out his long Lightblade hilt. A crimson blade emerged from either end. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ignited their own blades and held them at the ready. The Sith ran at them, and swung one of the blades at Obi-Wan, who leapt over Darth Maul and landed behind him.
The two Jedi swung at the same time, but the Sith ducked at the last second before blocking their backswings with his double blades. The Jedi's movements were graceful and flowing, but none of their blows made contact. Darth Maul toyed with them, blocking every strike. Before the Jedi had fully realized it, they were on the defensive, blocking the furious blows from the dark warrior.
Against the barrage of bolts, there was nowhere for the Queen's forces to go. Suddenly a gout of flame hit the automekas wards, breaking them. Anakin was holding the reins of the ennone that had launched the flames, cheering loudly. "Take that! Woo!"
Under the heat of the fire, the automekas melted and the marble floor cracked. Queen Amidala beckoned her bodyguards. "Come on! Let's go!" As they went through the door into the palace, the ennone did as it had been trained to and flew out the big door with Anakin atop it.
"Whoa! Where are we going?" Anakin buckled the saddle's waist strap as the ennone flew away from Theed, following the distant cries of its kind.
The Jedi and the Sith fought back and forth in the now empty stables. For all their efforts, neither side could gain an advantage over the other. Qui-Gon slashed at Maul, but he ducked landing a kick at Qui-Gon's shin in the process. Darth Maul tried to bring his blade down on Qui-Gon, but a quick block by Obi-Wan saved him.
Before Qui-Gon could exploit Darth Maul's opening, the Sith leapt away, making for the main entrance again. He realized this area was too even of a playing field. He needed to find a place more to his advantage. The Jedi gave chase, unsure of what the Sith had up his sleeve.
The courtyard outside the stables had many elevated walkways which overlooked the gardens. Darth Maul jumped into one of these walkways, hoping this change of landscape would give him the edge he sought.
The two Jedi jumped up after him, Qui-Gon deflecting an upward swing from the Sith as he landed. Obi-Wan landed on the other side of Maul, forcing him to fight in two differing directions again.
In the palace, the Queen's forces had fiercely fought their way to the upper levels. They had since split into two groups to try for the throne room from different directions to cut off the Viceroy if he tried to escape. Both groups were growing tired, and only a few more automata lay between them and victory. But time was running out.
Anakin and the ennone had almost reached the sea. The cries of the ennone and the sound of gunfire from the ships could just be heard over the rushing of wind past Anakin's ears. "So that's what everyone was flying towards."
He watched as one of the ennone lit three vultures on fire before another came up from the side and sunk its mechanical talons into the rider, ripping him free and dropping him into the sea. Despite the riders' best efforts, no one had been able to get close to the flagship, and only about half of the ennone riders remained.
Jar Jar and Captain Tarpals had fallen back to the rear and had ordered the center Gungan cavalry to charge. They rode forth, cutting through the lines and spreading out. What they hadn't realized was that automekas had been deployed. Within seconds, the Gungan cavalry was under fire from a hailstorm of crossbow bolts. The hole they had punched through had closed, and the rear lines of the automata had turned to face them. It wasn't long until the last of the cavalry had been cut down by both bolt and blade.
The Federation's own cavalry had begun their attacks. Although the Gungan right flank held strong, the left buckled. The Gungan warriors broke formation and became easy prey for the lancers. More automekas arrived, aiding the lancers against a counter charge by the left flank's cavalry. The tide was rapidly turning.
A cluster of iron balls tore through an ennone's wing as its rider tried a pass at the blue sphere. It crashed hard into the grey side of the flagship and fell into the sea with a broken neck. Anakin and his ennone flew around, dodging vultures and deck gun fire. Everything narrowly avoided them, thanks to the boy's impeccable reflexes. "This is intense!"
A thought occurred to Anakin. Hadn't Qui-Gon wanted him to stay safe? What was he doing out here in the middle of an air battle? Qui-Gon had told him to stay in the saddle, and he wasn't defying him, but Anakin doubted that Qui-Gon would approve of his actions.
Four vultures pursued the ennone, firing bolt after bolt, but never hitting their mark. Anakin watched as another of the ennone fell into the water below, having not been so lucky.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan dripped with sweat as the fight against Darth Maul dragged on. Maul was thoroughly enjoying himself, having never been tested this much. He leaned back to avoid a swing from Obi-Wan and kicked him off the walkway.
Obi-Wan cushioned his landing with the Force, but still landed on his back. He had failed to consider his legs in his landing and his ankle struck the ground painfully. From the ground, he watched as the inactive hilt of his Lightblade clattered away across the cobblestones. He looked up to the walkway and saw his master and the dark warrior fighting ferociously. Obi-Wan leapt to his feet, gritting his teeth through the pain and held out a hand. Reaching out through the Force, he pulled his Lightblade into his hand and activated it as he jumped back up to the walkway.
The reappearance of Obi-Wan distracted Darth Maul just for an instant, but that was all that was needed. Qui-Gon released a burst of Force energy and Maul staggered backwards into the stone railing. He regained himself just as the two Jedi made swings at him. He backflipped, landing on the ground below and bared his teeth in rage.
With the playing field once again level, Darth Maul looked to the side and saw the entrance to the palace well house. That would do. He made a run for the door as the Jedi jumped down after him. Qui-Gon hit the ground running and sprinted after the Sith. Obi-Wan's ankle turned on landing, sending a fresh bolt of pain up his leg. He limped after his master as the elder Jedi once more clashed with Maul.
The hallway into the well house was a long one, with red wards at regular intervals. Normally, during a battle these wards would be fully active to protect the well, but the earlier fighting had damaged the runes. The wards now activated in regular cycles, intermittently allowing passage down the hall.
Darth Maul and Qui-Gon battled fiercely, the Sith leading the Jedi closer and closer to the well room. After one of their blade clashes, they both felt the telltale crackle of a ward about to activate. They jumped back at the last second, and a ward appeared between them. Close to the entrance, another activated, separating Qui-Gon from his Padawan.
Qui-Gon retracted his Lightblade and knelt down to begin meditating, knowing that for now, the fight was suspended. Darth Maul glared at Qui-Gon through the ward and growled. He tapped the point of his Lightblade against the red ward, sending sparks flying, but accomplishing nothing else. He withdrew the blade and began pacing along the ward, seething with anger, never taking his yellow eyes off the Jedi.
Automekas had penetrated the Gungan wards on the right flank and had begun launching their bolts at the drummers. Bolts that didn't hit the drummers pierced the thin drumheads, breaking the wards. The Federation cannons, waiting for an opportunity, opened fire again, blasting through the brave Gungan warriors.
The lizards on the left flank were faring little better, as they had been overrun by automata. The Federation soldiers hacked away at the lizards' legs, causing them to reel and throw the tired drummers from their perches.
The center wards held, but the drummers grew tired. A stray bolt from an automeka hit one in his back, interrupting the rythm. With that, the final ward fell. Captain Tarpals ordered a full retreat as cannonballs and grapeshot rained down on the Gungans.
Jar Jar's mount caught a ball of grapeshot and fell from underneath him. He scrambled along the ground and took refuge below one of the carts that held the catapult ammunition. He blubbered incoherently in his terror, curling himself into a ball.
The driver of the cart whipped the beast pulling it and it began moving. Jar Jar looked up as the cart pulled away from him. He screamed in panic and ran after it, scratching at the back of the cart to try and climb up. Behind him, automata marched forward with deadly intent.
A cannonball smashed a corner of the cart just as Jar Jar's hands had gripped the cart's upper lip. The caustic orbs inside began tumbling out and rolling towards the automata. Jar Jar swung on a loose piece of the cart, hanging on for dear life before it broke away. Behind him, the orbs smashed into the automata, destroying any caught in the corrosive bursts.
Jar Jar ran, keeping his eyes closed. Tears streamed down his face. Around him, he could hear the screams of his people and the clashing of metal on metal. Then there was a voice. "Jar Jar! Take mesa hand!"
He opened his eyes and saw Captain Tarpals riding towards him. Jar Jar reached up a hand and was lifted off the ground as Captain Tarpals went by. He clumsily climbed into the saddle, and it seemed like they were going to be able to escape.
Until a cannonball blasted through their mount.
Captain Tarpals and Jar Jar hit the ground hard, knocking the sense out of them. When they came to, a group of automata was approaching them.
In the palace, the Queen and her forces had nearly reached the throne room. Six automekas emerged from behind the hallway's pillars, wards active and crossbows ready.
"Drop your weapons," said Queen Amidala to her bodyguards. "They win this round."
While trying to dodge bolts from pursuing vultures, Anakin accidentally steered his ennone into some of the flagship's rigging. The ennone's wings tangled and it and Anakin fell to the deck below. The ennone let out a quiet whistle, disoriented by the fall.
Automata quickly began advancing towards the boy and the ennone. Anakin looked around at them nervously. "Uhh, ennone? We need to go."
The ennone looked around woozily before shaking its head. It hissed at the mechanical soldiers.
Darth Maul continued pacing, visualizing all the ways he would butcher the kneeling Jedi. Qui-Gon suddenly opened his eyes and jumped to his feet, igniting his Lightblade as he stood. Between the Jedi and the Sith, the ward fizzled out and once again they traded sword blows. Darth Maul lured Qui-Gon into the well room. It was large, with a wide deep hole in the center. High above hung large pulley systems.
Obi-Wan moved up the hallway as fast as he could with his sprained ankle. He had almost reached the well room when a ward reactivated. He skidded to a halt, and watched the fight through the red barrier.
Darth Maul had switched to a technique that relied on spinning his double Lightblade as much as possible to disorient his opponent. This didn't hinder Qui-Gon much, though. He artfully blocked each strike as the two fighters moved around the room.
In the middle of one of his spins, Darth Maul transitioned back to his previous fighting style. Qui-Gon hadn't anticipated this, and missed a block. Maul hit Qui-Gon in the nose with the side of his Lightblade hilt. Qui-Gon's head flew back and Maul did a spin before running his Lightblade straight through Qui-Gon's chest.
Obi-Wan's eyes flew wide. "No!"
Qui-Gon looked down at the blade that had run him through. Maul withdrew it with a satisfied smile and Qui-Gon fell to the floor, gasping for air. Obi-Wan looked to his master, and then to Darth Maul. He wanted to feel anger, to feel rage, but he didn't. Qui-Gon had taught him better than that.
Obi-Wan centered himself and instead focused on what needed to be done. On the other side of the ward, Darth Maul sneered and began pacing again, biding his time to strike down the other Jedi.
The Gungan army had been routed. Jar Jar and Captain Tarpals were surrounded. They looked to one another, hoping that the other had a plan. Jar Jar was tired and shaking with fear. He looked around at his fallen kinsmen and at the encroaching automata.
Jar Jar slowly raised his arms. "Mesa surrender..."
Captain Tarpals sighed. Jar Jar was right, there was no point in getting any more Gungans killed. "Mesa surrender too."
The Gungans nearby saw their commanders' surrenders and threw down their spears. The battle was over.
Automata gathered the surviving warriors and began marching them to the overland transports. All of the pride and bravery the Gungans had shown hadn't been enough to stop the Federation.
Inside the palace, automata marched the Queen and her guards into the throne room where the Viceroy and his advisor awaited.
"Ah, welcome," the Viceroy said. "A valiant display, your Highness, but I'm afraid your little insurrection is at an end. Now it's time for you to sign the treaty and put an end to the pointless debate in the Senate."
Queen Amidala was about to say something when a female voice yelled from the doorway they had entered. "Viceroy!"
It was the Queen's decoy, still dressed in the finery befitting the Queen. Behind her stood the rest of the Queen's bodyguard. "Your occupation here has ended!"
The Viceroy yelled in anger. "After her! This one's a decoy!"
The automata that had been guarding the captured Queen rushed out of the room. Soon, the two forces were fighting, with sword meeting sword. Slowly, the decoy's forces pulled back from the door until all the automata were out of the throne room and focused on them.
The real Queen Amidala took advantage of the distraction and rushed to her throne. She slid open a panel and pulled out a pair of matchlock pistols made from silver and ivory. She quickly tossed one to Captain Panaka while she pointed hers at the Viceroy.
When the Viceroy saw it, he fell over backwards and tried crawling away, wailing in fear.
"Close the doors," Queen Amidala called to her bodyguards. As the door crossbar fell into place, she looked the Viceroy square in the eye. "Now, it is time for us to discuss a new treaty."
The ward between Obi-Wan and Darth Maul flickered. They each activated their Lightblades an instant before the ward fell. At once, they were swinging at one another. Obi-Wan lacked the grace his master had in combat, but his movements were still not as aggressive as Darth Maul.
They fought with such speed and ferocity that there was no time for either to think about what to do next. Everything had become instinct. Maul tried to switch technique to catch Obi-Wan off guard, but became distracted himself. Obi-Wan swung upwards as Maul had his hilt held horizontally.
Darth Maul's hilt split in half and he jumped back, tossing away the now ruined side. He spun around a few times, swinging his single blade to keep Obi-Wan away. Obi-Wan closed the gap and Maul raised his blade to block a strike.
Maul kicked Obi-Wan after a missed swing and he staggered back, wincing at the pain in his ankle. Darth Maul siezed this opening and, using the Force, sent out a shockwave. Obi-Wan staggered and teetered on the edge of the well. Maul gave another quick push with the Force and Obi-Wan fell backwards.
There was a single brick protruding from the wall of the well shaft and Obi-Wan just barely was able to grab it in time. He looked down to see his Lightblade fall into the dark depths below. Darth Maul looked over the edge and laughed at the Jedi's predicament.
Anakin's ennone looked at the automata surrounding it. Anakin's pulse was racing. "Uh... Uh... Roast them!"
The ennone spewed liquid fire in an arc in front of them. Anakin pulled on the reins, hoping the ennone could still fly. With a few quick flaps, the ennone had lifted off the deck. The crew tried their best to stop the ennone, but they couldn't reach it. All the deck guns pointed outward and none of the crew had projectile weapons.
Anakin realized that he could use the ennone to clear the top deck. Back and forth they flew, with Anakin directing the ennone to loose its flames.
On one of the passes, the flames poured into one of the open trapdoors the vultures had emerged from. Inside this area were the many parts used to keep the vultures working. This included large amounts of oil and cloth, which took the flame quickly.
As Anakin continued his passes, he saw flames beginning to spout violently from the ship. "Let's go, ennone! We've sure showed them!"
Away they flew as the flames continued to spread inside the ship, completely out of control. It didn't take long for the flames to reach the ship's magazine. The fire heated the metal walls and within seconds, the metal ignited the gunpowder within.
Anakin flew away to try to once again escape the attacks of vultures. From some distance behind him came an ear shattering explosion. In an instant, the pride of the Federation's fleet had been torn in two. Flaming boards rained down as the masts toppled into the sea. Further smaller explosions continued to wrack the two halves of the ship as they slowly began to sink.
The ennone riders watched this, stunned. They weren't sure who had done it, but one of them had gotten through. Around them, the vultures plummeted from the sky.
The control sphere was destroyed. They had won.
Jar Jar and Captain Tarpals were being loaded onto the overland transports when suddenly their automata captors all collapsed. Jar Jar looked around confused to see that every one of the other automata in the Federation army was collapsing as well. Captain Tarpals became excited. "Theysa did it!"
Jar Jar turned to him, confused. "Who-sa did what?"
"The Naboo took out the flagship!"
Across the Gungan army, shouting and cheering erupted. They may have lost their battle, but they had won the war.
Obi-Wan's grip on the brick was failing. Up above him, Darth Maul swung his Lightblade back and forth across the rim of the well, showering Obi-Wan in hot sparks. Desperate for a solution, he reached out through the Force.
He sensed the dark aura above him and his dying master. But there was something else. His master's Lightblade. It still lay next to him. That was the answer.
Darth Maul stopped midswing. Something had changed about his prey. There was now focus in his mind. Behind him, Qui-Gon's Lightblade shook and began moving across the floor.
Maul looked at Obi-Wan, trying to figure out what was happening. Suddenly, Obi-Wan jumped out of the well and over Maul, grabbing his master's Lightblade midair. Darth Maul turned to try to stop whatever it was his opponent was doing, but it was too late. Obi-Wan swung the Lightblade in an arc in front of him.
Darth Maul suddenly couldn't feel anything below his waist. His face contorted at this strange sensation. Then he was falling. He fell into the well behind him and as he fell, he watched his legs grow farther away from him. Down he tumbled until he hit the water. Anger was the only thing he felt.
Obi-Wan rushed to his master's side. He reached out a hand to try to heal him.
"No... No, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon's voice was raspy and his breathing labored. "It's too late."
"No..."
"Obi-Wan... Promise... Promise me... You'll train the boy..."
"Yes, Master."
Qui-Gon shakily raised a hand and touched Obi-Wan's face. "He is... The Chosen One... He will... Bring... Balance..."
Then, as gently as though he were falling asleep, Qui-Gon went limp and closed his eyes. Obi-Wan held his master's body close as his spirit passed on to become one with the Force. A tear fell from his eye and landed on Qui-Gon's cheek.
The ennone riders had returned to the stables. There was a great chatter among them as to who had been the one to take down the flagship. None there claimed it and they were beginning to worry their hero had been killed in the blast.
They suddenly turned when they heard an ennone's cry from outside. A single ennone was coming in to land and on its back was a young boy. When the wyvern's feet touched the marble floor, the boy waved. "Hello everyone! I'm not in trouble, am I?"