Chapter 22

Hot Pursuit

Qui-Gon scanned the endless green mass of the jungle, feeling for any indication in the Living Force that the Padawans were alive somewhere beneath its canopy. He closed his eyes at intervals, reaching into the Force for any sign of his Padawan.

And when I find Obi-Wan, I'll have found Siri as well.

Adi hadn't said a word since she had taken the stolen speeder back into the air, and Qui-Gon didn't need to look back at her to know that all her focus was on piloting the craft at as high a speed as she could.

Like she said, I'll navigate. We both have our hands full with our respective tasks.

Qui-Gon suddenly felt a pang in the Force, its source as familiar as any. He closed his eyes, focusing intently on it.

Obi-Wan. He's in trouble. But where?

As he focused, a vague image came into view. Two auras that he recognized as Obi-Wan and Siri stood in a blur of flying light, a dark and equally familiar aura towering over them as they fought for their lives. Qui-Gon struggled to keep the memories of the imposing Miraluka manhandling his apprentice at the Museum gala out of his mind.

Nurkkis. They've found Nurkkis, and he's fighting back. They're in danger!

Qui-Gon focused on the ongoing battle, desperate to ascertain where it was being fought as he and Adi flew aimlessly across the jungle canopy.

Every second counts. Just keep focusing. The Force will show you the way. Only then will you turn to Adi and guide her in.

The Jedi Master could only hope he wouldn't come to the vital realization a few seconds too late.

Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber in a defensive stance, ready for yet another flurry of blows from Nurkkis. The Miraluka was an extremely aggressive fighter, primarily relying on relentless thrusting and rapid footwork in an attempt to overwhelm the Padawans. Cleverly, he had taken pains to keep the Padawans from coordinating their attacks, always positioning himself in such a way that only one could fight him at a time. Whenever Obi-Wan and Siri had tried to attack him together, Nurkkis had only evaded and counterattacked, often using the edged metal end of his lightsaber pike to keep one or the other Padawan at bay while he positioned himself to attack the other one-on-one. Once he had the fight to his liking, he would charge at his target and unleash a furious series of thrusts using the pike's lightsaber blade. When the other Padawan intervened, he simply used the metal blade to ward off his new attacker as he sidestepped into a position where he could begin the process again without allowing both his opponents to attack together. This cycle had alternated between the two Padawans since the fight began, and now it was Obi-Wan's turn to face Nurkkis' rage after he had driven Siri back.

That blade certainly makes teamwork difficult. He can strike from two angles, and even if Siri or I evade, all we do is leave the other open to another barrage of thrusts.

Nurkkis lunged towards Obi-Wan, his blade rushing up at the Padawan's throat. Obi-Wan began backpedaling, avoiding most of the rapid, vicious thrusts and parrying those that got too close to avoid entirely. Despite this, the Miraluka continued to bore in on the Padawan, his strikes falling short of Obi-Wan by mere centimeters. As Obi-Wan continued to backpedal and parry, Siri charged in behind Nurkkis. The Miraluka reacted instinctively, turning and thrusting the bladed end of his pike towards the Padawan now attempting to flank him. Siri easily avoided the blow, but the distraction allowed Nurkkis to sidestep out of the way before Obi-Wan could use the brief opening to attack. He quickly maneuvered behind Siri, placing her between himself and Obi-Wan. Leveling his pike at Siri's throat, he began attacking her as Obi-Wan stepped to the side, quickly thought his options through.

We've been going like this the entire time, and Nurkkis hasn't left a single opening long enough for either of us to exploit. We can keep going, but eventually one of us will make a mistake, and then Nurkkis will move in for the kill. And the way he's been fighting, neither of us could take him alone. Should we continue to fight defensively? Or should we go on the attack and bet our lives that we can beat Nurkkis at his own game?

After a moment's pondering, Obi-Wan made his decision. He reached out to Siri through their Force bond.

Siri!

What?

Lead him towards me.

Towards you? You want to fight him head-on?

I want US to fight him head-on. We've been trying to fix and flank him this entire time, and that clearly hasn't worked.

That pike gives him a lot of reach, though. One mistake in trying to break through his defenses, and…

Not if there are two of us. He could take ether of us alone, but he's no match for us as one unified force. He's been able to fight defensively as well as offensively because our tactics forced him to, and all that's done is allow him to focus on keeping us apart. Now that he's on the attack, we need to goad him. Just like we've done since this morning. The dark side will once again be his downfall.

Fair enough, Kenobi. I hope your crazy plan works again.

Instead of attempting to flank Nurkkis, Obi-Wan moved to Siri's side as she backpedalled towards him. Nurkkis initially continued charging forward, but he suddenly halted as Obi-Wan reached Siri's side.

He's just realized that he'll have to fight us both if he keeps going. Now is the time to strike, while he's hesitating!

Without a word between them, Obi-Wan and Siri charged forward, their lightsabers arcing towards Nurkkis. Caught off guard, the Miraluka quickly began dodging and parrying the blows as he attempted to maneuver out of the way and derail the Padawans' coordinated attack. Obi-Wan and Siri stuck together, continuing to press their attack and keeping their collective front towards Nurkkis to prevent him from splitting them up once again. The Miraluka continued to parry the blows directed at him as he deftly stepped around the Padawans, seeking any opening he could use to divide them and gain the initiative once again. The Padawans gave him nothing, maintaining their cohesive assault despite Nurkkis' best efforts. His defense slowly began to slacken, his attempts to find an opening more and more desperate.

We have him now. As long as we maintain our cohesion, Nurkkis won't be able to stand his ground much longer.

Then, out of nowhere, Obi-Wan became aware of a familiar Force presence.

Master?

Obi-Wan! Master Gallia and I are on the way! Just continue to hold Nurkkis off a while longer!

How did you…

The power of the Force, my young Padawan. Now focus!

His Master's admonition came a moment too late. Nurkkis seized on Obi-Wan's distraction to go on the attack, sidestepping away from Siri to prevent her from aiding Obi-Wan. The Miraluka lunged forward, thrusting his red blade toward Obi-Wan's throat. The Padawan parried the blow and stepped to the side, attempting to grab the pike and leave Nurkkis open to a finishing blow. As Obi-Wan grasped the pike, Nurkkis quickly pulled the weapon back and stepped forwards, throwing the Padawan off balance. Obi-Wan lost his footing and crashed to the jungle floor, his lightsaber flying from his hand. In an instant, he was on his back, looking up at Nurkkis as he reached back, shortening his pike for a thrust into the Padawan's throat. Before anything else could happen, though, Siri rushed at Nurkkis, swatting his blade aside with hers. Briefly knocked off balance, Nurkkis quickly raised his pike to block Siri's follow-up strike, and her blade locked onto the phrik handle of the pike. With a grunt of exertion, Nurkkis threw his weight forward, sending Siri stumbling backwards. Obi-Wan quickly called his lightsaber to his hand and jumped to his feet, charging towards Nurkkis as he prepared to drive his red blade into Siri's torso. Instead of delivering the fatal thrust, the Miraluka turned to meet the new threat, thrusting at Obi-Wan's face. Obi-Wan parried the blow and delivered a counterattack as Nurkkis raised his pike to block. The blue and red blades locked as the two men pushed with all their strength, attempting to throw the other off balance.

This is for all the cards. Whoever loses this saber lock dies where he stands.

As Obi-Wan and Nurkkis continued to push against each other, Siri rushed in behind Nurkkis, ready to strike him down while he was distracted by the saber lock.

It's over, Nurkkis.

Nurkkis suddenly shoved Obi-Wan towards Siri, breaking the saber lock and sidestepping out of the way as the two Padawans crashed into each other. They both tumbled to the dirt, their lightsabers flying from their hands as Nurkkis moved in for the kill, hatred rolling off of him with every step. The Padawans barely had time to brace for the end they knew was coming.

Obie…

Before Siri could say anything else, a large figure fell through the air, landing behind Nurkkis. The Miraluka turned to face this new arrival as the figure ignited a green lightsaber.

Master Qui-Gon! He's here!

Without hesitation, Qui-Gon engaged Nurkkis, throwing rapid blows at the Miraluka. Unprepared for the Jedi Master's skill, Nurkkis was quickly forced back, parrying and dodging as Qui-Gon drove him back towards the edge of the clearing. Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan saw a small airspeeder landing in the clearing. Its door opened, and Master Gallia sprang out of its driver's seat, sprinting towards the Padawans as she ignited her lightsaber. Siri stood up, reinvigorated at the sight of her Master.

"Master!"

"Siri! Obi-Wan! Go after Nurkkis! I'm right behind you!"

Now we've got him. He can't fight all four of us. He's barely holding his own against Master Qui-Gon.

The Padawans stood to their feet, ignited their lightsabers, and dashed towards the edge of the clearing, where Qui-Gon and Nurkkis were still fighting. The Miraluka continued to fall back towards the treeline as Qui-Gon rained down blow after blow on him.

He has nowhere left to run…wait!

Obi-Wan suddenly remembered Ni'Pa's entry into the clearing earlier, and the skiff by the river.

He's got a getaway vehicle ready and waiting for him! He's just giving ground until he can get to it!

As if on command, Nurkkis quickly brought the blade of his pike down on Qui-Gon's lightsaber. The Jedi Master blocked the blow, but now found himself in a saber lock with the younger and stronger man. Nurkkis quickly pushed Qui-Gon aside and knocked him over with a boot to the chest. Looking up, he saw Obi-Wan, Siri, and Adi running towards him from the clearing. Obi-Wan felt a pang of danger from the Force as the Miraluka tossed his pike into his left hand and carried his right to his hip. Nurkkis quickly drew his pistol and fired several errant shots at Adi and the Padawans as they came to Qui-Gon's aid. The three Jedi continued rushing forward as Nurkkis ran to the skiff, firing all the way. Adi deflected a bolt back towards Nurkkis, who dodged it as he continued to sprint for his escape route. Qui-Gon stood up and reignited his lightsaber, rushing back into the pursuit. However, Nurkkis had already reached the skiff, and was frantically working the controls as the Jedi closed in.

All he needed was to buy time. And now he has.

The skiff shot off down the river as the Jedi sprinted after it in vain. It disappeared down the winding jungle waterway as the Jedi stopped to catch their breath.

"Master?"

"Yes, Obi-Wan?"

"Please tell me that speeder has room for all of us."

"It does. We made sure to steal one that could hold everybody."

Obi-Wan chuckled at his Master's response. Siri chimed in, turning to Adi.

"So, what now, Master?"

Adi addressed the entire crowd.

"We have no time to waste. I'll take the controls again. We can figure out a plan once we catch up to Nurkkis."

Nurkkis piloted the skiff down the river, its throttle pushed as far forward as he could make it go and its nav computer showing a readout of the surrounding area. He steered the vessel with his right hand, his commlink in his left as he went over his plan in his head.

Those Jedi brought a speeder. And given their tenacity so far, they'll follow me. Thankfully, I still have backup at the mining camp. They think they've caught a mouse, but they've actually caught a giant, ornery rat! And rats, unlike mice, fight back!

Nurkkis pushed the talk button on his commlink as he studied the nav computer, letting the Force guide his piloting.

"This is Nurkkis. I need immediate skimmer escort at my location. I've got unfriendlies on my tail, and I need all the backup I can get. My location is as follows…"

The trees flew by the speeder's canopy as Adi piloted it along the narrow river corridor at top speed, the other three Jedi hanging on for dear life.

Flying is for droids. One false move and we'll all be wrapped around a tree.

The tight corridor of trees soon gave way to a massive, open waterway, the exposed sky flooding the cockpit with light. Birds soared over the river in flocks, gently turning across the clear tropical skies. The trees that had not a moment before rushed up at the Jedi like so many assailants were now reduced to a picturesque green line on either side of the wide river. And there, before them, was Nurkkis' skiff, clearly visible against the breathtaking backdrop.

If it weren't for him, this would be an incredible sightseeing opportunity.

"Qui-Gon! Obi-Wan! I'll pull us in close, and then you two can board! Siri and I will stay with the speeder and shadow you until you've subdued Nurkkis."

"Fair enough, Adi. Obi-Wan, stand in the door!"

Obi-Wan clambered through the narrow cockpit, eyeing the starboard door as Adi rammed the throttle forward, causing the speeder to violently lurch and nearly throw Obi-Wan to the floor. Qui-Gon stood up behind him. Looking through the canopy, Obi-Wan could see the skiff growing closer and closer, coming up on the speeder's starboard side.

We can outrun him. Now, all we need to do is survive a mid-air boarding and arrest him. Simple.

The door swung open, and Obi-Wan felt a pang of danger in the Force. He quickly ignited his lightsaber as the door opened to reveal Nurkkis crouched at the controls of the skiff, his pistol in hand. He fired at Obi-Wan as he stood in the doorway, but the Padawan easily deflected the bolt. Qui-Gon shouted to his Padawan as Obi-Wan deflected another shot.

"Obi-Wan! Jump!"

Obi-Wan leapt from the speeder onto the skiff's deck, his lightsaber at the ready. He landed amidships, turning to see Nurkkis crouched behind the skiff's helm with his pistol raised. The Miraluka fired at the Padawan as Obi-Wan advanced smoothly and steadily towards the helm, deflecting bolt after bolt. Obi-Wan reached the helm as he swatted another bolt aside, and with a single, fluid motion cut the pistol in two. As he brought his lightsaber down towards Nurkkis' head, the Miraluka suddenly raised his left hand, a red lightsaber blade springing from it. As his blade connected with Nurkkis' own, Obi-Wan could see the rest of Nurkkis' lightsaber pike out of the corner of his eye.

He was saving that for this occasion.

With a mighty roar and a tremendous shove, Nurkkis pushed Obi-Wan aside, and brought the pike down to waist level, gripping it with both hands as the Padawan stood stunned and helpless against the vessel's railing. He lunged forward as Obi-Wan quickly regained his footing and ducked out of the way, the red blade piercing the air where his heart would have been an instant earlier. Nurkkis, now backed against the railing himself, quickly began jabbing at Obi-Wan, driving him towards the bow of the skiff before the Padawan could press his advantage.

This area is too narrow. Nurkkis has every advantage in a small, narrow corridor like the deck of this skiff. Where is Master Qui-Gon?

The report of a heavy blaster cannon answered Obi-Wan's question.

As he watched Obi-Wan leap to the deck, Qui-Gon prepared to follow him in. Then, he felt a pang of danger in the Force. Siri's shouting to Adi confirmed his suspicions.

"Master! LMC skimmers! Behind us!"

Adi and Qui-Gon turned to look behind the speeder, and saw two large skimmers approaching from the rear, filled with armed guards.

"Nurkkis' men? Where did they come from?"

"Lok'ayy and Nurkkis weren't at the mining camp, Master. They were off examining a Sith artifact dig site nearby when Obi-Wan and I found them. Those must be the guards from the mining camp; Nurkkis probably called for backup once he took off in that skiff."

"What happened to the others?"

"Nurkkis and Lok'ayy had a falling out, Master. He killed Lok'ayy, and then killed Ni'Pa after he came out to search for them. The guards with Nurkkis were killed in the crossfire."

A large blaster bolt flew by the canopy, ending the brief exchange. Adi took violent evasive action, throwing the speeder around as blaster fire enveloped the small craft.

"Change of plans. We need to hijack one of those skimmers. Siri, Qui-Gon, get ready to bail out. I'll abandon the speeder and board with you once you're clear."

"What about Obi-Wan?"

"I'm sorry, Qui-Gon. He'll have to fend for himself until we can get rid of these skimmers. We'll be aiding him just the same."

I can only hope that Obi-Wan can hold his own. That Miraluka is a dangerous being indeed, and strong in the dark side. May the Force be with you, my young Padawan.

Obi-Wan felt a surge of comfort through the Force from his Master. Looking up, he saw the speeder jinking around as blaster bolts buzzed all around it from an LMC security skimmer on its tail. On the other side of the river, more fire came in from another skimmer, its crew and turret gunner blazing away at the small, nimble craft. The Padawan quickly snapped back to the moment as Nurkkis continued his attack, thrusting at Obi-Wan in a fury. The two continued their deadly dance around the deck of the skiff, neither able to find an opening. Obi-Wan soon found himself forced back onto the stern of the skiff, slowly but surely tiring under the constant barrage of blows from Nurkkis. Then, he felt a pang of distress from Qui-Gon as he heard an loud explosion behind him. Looking up, he saw the speeder in flames; smoke belching from its fuselage. He had no time to contemplate the danger his fellow Jedi were in before Nurkkis drove his pike towards the Padawan's chest. Obi-Wan, with no room to retreat, sidestepped the blow, grabbed the pike and began grappling with Nurkkis. The Miraluka taunted the Padawan as the two wrestled on the stern of the skiff.

"I can sense your fear, Jedi. Your pals back there are in a very bad way. Including your girlfriend."

Obi-Wan continued to grapple with Nurkkis, feeling anger surge through him.

"Yes. Yes, I can feel it in you, Jedi. The dark side pulsates from you now. Feel its power in your every move. Feel the fear and anger in your veins."

Obi-Wan struggled to keep his emotions under control in the viciousness of the fight, his thoughts constantly drifting to the burning speeder behind him.

Master, Siri…get out of there!

"We're hit! Qui-Gon! Siri! Stand in the door! I'll be right behind you!"

"Master…"

"There's no time, Siri! Get ready to board that skimmer!"

Siri reluctantly moved to the door alongside Qui-Gon, ready to leap aboard the skimmer below as more blaster bolts slammed into the speeder. Adi brought the flaming speeder alongside the skimmer as Qui-Gon and Siri ignited their lightsabers and deflected blaster fire from the crew firing into the cabin.

"Jump! NOW!"

Qui-Gon and Siri leapt onto the deck of the skimmer, bringing their lightsabers up to engage the crew. A Trandoshan crewman advanced towards Qui-Gon, attempting to strike the Jedi Master with the butt of his rifle. Qui-Gon evaded the blow and killed the guard with a slash across the chest. Qui-Gon then turned his attention to the skimmer's coxswain, standing at the helm with a drawn pistol as two riflemen stood on either side of him. The Jedi Master advanced towards the helm, deflecting a bolt back into one of the riflemen. The man stumbled back and fell over the side with a yell and a splash as Qui-Gon focused on the second rifleman. He hacked down the guard with a blow to the torso, and then turned his attention to the coxswain. The coxswain fired an errant shot at Qui-Gon before the Jedi Master advanced and with a single, mighty swing, walloped off his head. The headless coxswain flopped to the deck like a puppet as Qui-Gon took the helm and looked out over the deck. The speeder, now entirely in flames, veered off to the right as Adi jumped from its cockpit while it passed over the skimmer. She landed on the deck next to Siri, who had just plunged her lightsaber through the heart of another guard. A guard taking aim at the Padawan from behind quickly found Adi in front of him. He turned his attention to Adi, but before he could fire his weapon, the Jedi Master cut him down. Another guard standing next to him quickly fell to Adi's blade. Meanwhile, the turret gunner abandoned his post and drew his pistol, drawing a bead on Siri as she advanced towards him. She deflected his fire and quickly struck him down.

That's all of them. Now, to catch up with Obi-Wan and Nurkkis.

Qui-Gon rammed the skimmer's throttle forward, his focus turning to the skiff in front of him, blue and red lightsaber blades clearly visible on its stern. Just then, blaster fire arced over the deck of the skimmer. Qui-Gon knew what the problem was before he turned to look at the source of the fire.

The second skimmer. They're still in the fight.

The Jedi Master shouted across the deck to his companions, who were now busy deflecting blaster fire from the remaining skimmer.

"Adi! Siri! Hang on!"

Qui-Gon yanked the helm hard to starboard as the turret gunner on the second skimmer swung his weapon towards the Jedi's vessel. He fired harmlessly into the treeline as Qui-Gon steered the skimmer towards the opposing vessel. The coxswain chopped power, and the second skimmer began to drop back. Qui-Gon did the same, and the commandeered skimmer smashed into its opponent. The two vessels jockeyed for position, smashing against each other as blaster fire met lightsaber blades at murderously close range. The coxswain drew his pistol, keeping his other hand on the controls. Qui-Gon followed suit, igniting his lightsaber while steering with his left hand as the coxswain opened fire. The Jedi Master deflected his opponent's bolts as Adi and Siri did the same. The turret gunner traversed his weapon as far as the heavy blaster cannon's mount would allow him, attempting to damage the hijacked skimmer. Sensing this, Siri quickly raised her lightsaber towards the gunner as he fired, attempting to hit the skimmer's engines. The massive bolt bounced off of her lightsaber with a force that nearly knocked the Padawan over, and flew right back at its source. The gunner's eyes widened in terror as the bolt hit him in the solar plexus, blowing his torso apart. His upper half burst into a pink mist as what remained of him clattered to the deck.

Quick thinking, Padawan Tachi.

The remaining guards continued to pour fire into the skimmer as the Jedi continued to defend themselves. One by one, guards went down under the hail of reflected blaster bolts, but the survivors continued to fire, some periodically stopping to change their power packs.

We can't keep this up indefinitely. What are you doing, Obi-Wan?