Star Wars: Heir of the Force

Episode 1: Chapter 3

***I own no part of anything Star Wars related***

***HotF***

"Excuse me, your highness? What exactly is your plan for when we return to Naboo?"

She didn't have a plan as much as a series of goals that needed to be accomplished to free her planet. Luckily, Padme had thought long and hard about the situation and had some input from a few of her military advisors. "The first step will be to approach the Gungan leadership and convince them to lend us their forces. We need to draw the Droid army out of Theed. From there we will free what pilots we can to shut down, or even destroy, the orbiting control ship. That should help their forces. Finally, we, and whatever militia I can gather, will infiltrate the palace and capture the Viceroy, forcing a surrender."

Qui-Gon frowned slightly, the plan was usable but very simplistic. There were so many variables that could go wrong and far too much was beyond their control. If even a single part failed…

"With all due respect your highness, it seems rather risky."

His comment was answered by the slightest of nods, "I am aware. If you have any other ideas, or potential allies, I am open to suggestions." This remark even had his apprentice shuffling awkwardly nearby, avoiding eye-contact. They both knew how the situation looked from her perspective, ignored by both the Jedi Council, and the Senate, and forced to return to fend for themselves during a massive invasion.

Amidala continued waiting patiently until the Jedi Master failed to give her any response to the original question, or at least one he would say out loud. She knew, of course, that there was another option, and likely one he was debating on whether to bring up or not.

Wait for the Senate, and therefore Jedi Order, to make their decision.

No one, however, was willing to suggest that the leader of a planet wait around patiently until a group of politicians decided if their planet was worth protecting while the innocent suffered.

Seeing no change, she gave another nod once more, "If that is all, Master Jedi?"

Jinn let out a defeated sigh, "Yes your highness, I suppose that was all."

***HotF***

"General!"

The Gungan looked over to his second in command, who was just riding up to their spot at the front of the Grand Army.

"Dem bad machanics be comin. They be comin from all da cities and da camps. They sound like da kaboomers!"

Nodding, the commander raised up his arm, giving the order for the army to assume their combat formation, and to deploy their defensive shields. Now all they had to do was wait, wait for the invaders to step out of the cities, away from the civilians and protective cover. Really, this was what they should have done at the start, to stand firm and tall against evil, not cower from it. The machines were cowards. They feared the Gungans and the Naboo, there was no other explanation for why they hid away amongst the innocent, why they did not march as an army should, but instead acted like rats.

Now there would be a reckoning. Whether the child that had informed their glorious leader of the situation could be believed or not, whether they would be protected or not didn't matter anymore. The Gungans were warriors and succeed or fail they would do so fighting!

Soon enough, the rumble of large machines sounded from over the next hill as dozens of massive structures came into view. These large 'monsters', the Gungans knew, were full of the enemy soldiers, packed inside and waiting to be unleashed.

Another gesture from the commander had their forcefields blazing to life, large domes covered the Gungan army and protected it from the barrage that was about to commence from the smaller, yet just as deadly, tanks that proceeded the troop carriers.

The top hatch of the lead weapon, indicated by the colored stripes, was flung open as another of the soulless creatures stood up to survey the situation. After taking a few moments to process the situation, the entire Gungan army standing idle within range of the artillery, it extended an arm to begin the assault when the optic sensors caught sight of something rather peculiar.

It was a small glowing sphere, floating mere feet away. The information that seemed to radiate from it was odd enough for the commander droid to reach out and attempt to interact, only for it to float upwards and out of reach.

The incident was far enough outside of normal operating parameters that it caused the artificial intelligence to pause in further commands in order to analyze the situation further. Before any decisions could be decided upon, however, the sensors stored inside of the droid began to detect a pulling force originating from the unknown object. It began small, barely a gust of wind in that direction, but within moments the tactical robot was forced to grip the sides of the opening in order to remain stable.

Less than ten seconds later and even those efforts weren't enough.

First it was the commanding droid which was pulled up and onto the glowing object, now hovering several hundred feet in the air, but within less than a minute the tanks began to tilt back and forth, before they too began to float upwards towards the sphere, miniscule though it was in comparison.

For the Gungans though not a breeze was felt, and to them this was a sign. Their Gods had stepped forth to protect them, just as the mysterious child had hinted at. It started low, with a single soldier raising up his spear, only to slam it down onto the ground. This was copied by those nearest him and began to spread. Soon the entire Gungan army was performing this ritual, raising their weapons only to thump them against the ground creating a dull, drum-like sound.

With the opposing tanks being smashed together in the sky the troop carriers began to sway next, soon being slowly lifted from the ground before they too joined the cluster of metal that continued to condense into an orb floating in the sky.

As the last mechanical monster had been added the newly formed object began to heat up, glowing bright red, then white as it melted the opposing army into nothingness, all to the triumphant roars of the Gungan forces.

Elsewhere, Anakin smiled from the tree that overlooked the nearby battlefield. It had been far more taxing than he originally thought, but the number of lives saved had been more than worth it.

***HotF***

Padme had just finished changing into her combat gear, along with her decoy who insisted on playing the role at least once more with the Gungans, when the wall commlink rang out.

"Your highness, you might want to come and see this." Panaka suggested, causing the two girls to make eye contact before moving in unison towards the front cockpit. Once there they spotted the two jedi looking over the man's shoulders, thoughtful looks adorning their faces.

Thoughtful was better than concerned, so at least it wasn't necessarily bad news.

"Report Captain." Sabe, in disguise, called out, earning her the attention of the small area.

"We… aren't sure what to make of it your highness." The man answered, before bringing up the information on one of the larger screens nearby. "We are seeing signals and messages go out from the areas surrounding Theed, dozens of them, but it doesn't look like they are distress calls. Instead it looks like those we would send out to organize and gather security forces."

"Could they be falsified?" Kenobi inquired, "Used to gather resistance forces into a trap?"

Now the concern was back, "Possible…" the dark-skinned man noted slowly, "unlikely, but possible. They are emanating from what appear to be makeshift camps rather than the cities. It seems odd the Trade Federation would be this unorganized in the attempt to destroy rebellion. Not only that but scanners are picking up large movements of troops on the surface, not droids but organic lifeforms."

"The Gungans?" Padme ventured a guess, earning an unsure shrug from her chief security officer.

"I do not believe it matters," Sabe noted, "we have a task and whether the message is correct or not doesn't change anything. If it is real, then we know at least one part of our task is already being worked on. If it a trap, then we need to make even more haste."

Padme couldn't have said it better herself.

***HotF***

Boss Nass was proud. Proud of his army for not simply standing idle after their victory. Proud of his generals for giving the orders to begin liberating the camps that held the innocent in bondage and torture. Proud of the soldiers for following orders so zealously, that they had taken it upon themselves to continue the proud legacy of their military history of fighting against tyranny and invaders. Proud of those who did not fight for coming together in their own way, for being there with supplies and aid for the liberated, for helping those who had for so long looked down upon them.

And the Naboo themselves? He had been present when the soldiers came to one of the larger camps and had expected many reactions from the adults and members of 'high society'. What he had not anticipated were tears of joy and thanks. Many had come up to him and apologized profusely for what they had said, believed, and done in regards to his people in the past.

It was the first step towards healing the scars that existed between their two people, scars created by both sides.

As the campaign against the invaders quickly escalated the Gungan leader soon found himself with another incredible advantage of working with the Naboo, their technology and organization. Sensors could be setup to warn them of any remaining droids preparing to make an attack, communications between forces were easier than ever before, transportation was faster for him and other members of the military leadership, and more than once had their heavier blaster weapons stopped the droid fights from strafing lingering forces and innocent civilians.

Even now there were communications going out to resistance members across the planet, preparing for an uprising to retake their world.

It was amazing what could be accomplished when their two races came together.

***HotF***

The returning Queen and her forces were amazed to find security around the Theed hangars to be rather light. Sure, there had been some battle droids that intercepted them, but nothing that her guards and the Jedi couldn't handle with ease. Minutes later Panaka had tapped into their security system through a hidden console and secret command code combination.

"It looks like we are in luck," he noted in relief, "The Viceroy and his staff are still in the palace, forces around the city are also rather light, mostly concentrated around the palace with a few smaller patrols on the streets."

"It looks like you were correct your highness." Padme praised, earning an unseen blush from her decoy, "Something has drawn them out of the city, perhaps the Gungan and rebel forces?"

The elder Jedi shook his head, "There is no such thing as luck, this is The Force guiding us. We must move quickly and secure the Viceroy before he can escape and return with another army or reinforcements are able to arrive."

Padme wanted to ask where The Force was when her people were being tortured and enslaved but kept her thoughts to herself. Instead she followed along the small procession out of the area, dealing with the straggling droids as they came across them and made towards the Palace. Despite the lack of security they were still a good distance from the facilities directly connected to her former home, meaning that they needed to cross a few streets and one of the larger plazas quickly in order to ensure that any Trade Federation ships could not flee.

They could do this. She could do this. One more battle and her people would be free, would be safe, and for that she would give her life in an instant.

***HotF***

An immaculate tiled floor, great statues depicting the kings and queens of old, majestic paintings adorning every wall, massive ornate windows that stretched from floor to high ceiling. Truly, the palace that Anakin now walked through was the very definition of power and wealth.

To him, however, it was ugly. There was no life to it, no plants or people talking, no laughter of children or running water. It was all fake, all created and put together to give the illusion of nobility and strength. A frown crossed the boys face before a moment later he had vanished behind a statue just as a pair of droids walked past on a programmed route.

Not for the first time did the child wish to be with those who understood him, who saw things as he did. The Jedi would not distance themselves from life in such a way, would not put emphasis on tall ceilings and strong walls rather than nature and the people it nourished.

Surely even the Sith would revel in that which created, and nurtured, what gave them strength. It was, after all, one of the reasons he had come to the castle. He could feel the presence of the Sith warrior and wanted to speak with him, that and to attempt and convince those who had brought the robot monsters to turn themselves in and pay for their crimes.

Pausing, due to sensing the amount of anger and hate currently flowing through the other Force wielder, Anakin almost turned back but pressed onwards down the next hallway where the older man fumed.

***HotF***

There was only a handful of times in his existence that the Sith Lord known as Darth Maul could recall disagreeing with his Master. Sidious was almost always right, or at least proved to be after a time. Sure, there were incidents in which the younger Sith was frustrated with his orders, especially those which had held him back from engaging with Jedi, but he knew in the long run that the decision would prove correct.

There were simply far too many Jedi to kill them off one by one without pretending that there would be consequences. A stealthy approach was needed in order to dethrone the false 'peace-keepers' as they declared themselves.

But back onto the situation at hand, the cloaked individual snarled as he observed what was likely his Master's first ever mistake, trusting Nute Gunray to handle anything.

The Neimoidian was pathetic, constantly cowering and changing his mind, and losing what little determination he had, on a whim. One moment the Viceroy would be parading about the halls of the palace, ordering around servants and talking about how they would sell off all Naboo's art and replace it with that of his own culture. Then he would hear about a small resistance movement and would be making plans to leave the planet for the 'safety' of the blockade ships.

Even now, with more troops on the planet than during the height of the invasion, with the primitive natives on the run and most of the Naboo in camps the 'fearless leader' was pacing about, muttering with worry. The cause of all this irritation? A communication error that had been going on for several hours.

The Gungans had sent an army into the open fields nearest to the capital of Theed, a bold if utterly ridiculous strategy, and the Trade Federation had unleashed its own forces against it. There was no hope for the creatures to win on an open battleground, especially not with the armored units that the conquerors had brought along. What would savages using spears and rocks do against a vehicle weighing almost 100 tons and equipped with long ranged weaponry?

Shortly after making initial contact, communications with the units on the field ceased.

Instead of focusing on the facts the bureaucrats took to wild speculation. What if the army had been obliterated? What if the natives had come across some sort of secret weapon, which they had previously kept secret as a last resort against the Naboo? What if the city was sieged or, even worse, invaded? What if they were unable to flee? What if…

Maul let out a low growl, interrupting the stammering and whining of the nearby Neimoidians. "Be quiet" he snapped, before standing and storming from the room, intent on finding somewhere to meditate before he ended up killing the pests and upsetting his Master.

Venturing down a few hallways the tattooed warrior finally found an empty section overlooking the city. This would be a decent spot for his exercises. He needed to be focused, to be razor sharp for when the Jedi arrived. This would be his first true confrontation, and in order to impress Sidious he needed to not only kill the duo but ensure that their bodies would not be recoverable by the rest of their pathetic order.

The Jedi needed to remain, relatively, unaware of the reemergence of the Sith.

But the fear due to their deaths would be a nice addition. To know there was something out there hunting them, something capable of dispatching a Master and his Padawan without much difficulty.

A 'phantom menace' so to speak.

He had already prepared a spot for when the two Jedi arrived, a series of catwalks just off the main hangar, which would allow him to fight in a controlled space and even separate them if the situation called for it.

Unfortunately, with all the useless technicians on the blockade ship working to reestablish contact with their army there was little attention paid to anything else, such as a single ship slipping past and onto the planet. For all they knew the Jedi had already landed back in the city, a situation that called for far more concern than not having regular updates concerning the slaughter of indigenous people.

Perhaps he should move to the designated location now, better to be prepared early than…

Maul's thoughts paused, because standing not twenty feet from him was a small boy, one dressed in simple clothes and with blonde hair. The Sith blinked a few times in confusion, because he was sure he had been alone mere moments prior. How had the boy snuck up on him? Where had he come from? Why…

Then he saw it, a flash of metal from a small cylinder on a belt.

A lightsaber

Snarling, the warrior's hand went to his own weapon. Whether this child was a Jedi or a secret servant of his Master it mattered not, he would dispose of him all the same.

The boy extended his arm, his palm flat and facing the advancing Sith. 'He seeks to use The Force?' the assassin almost mentally laughed, 'against a trained warrior?' It was folly, his own experience and training, like all Force users, had created natural shields and protections. Only someone with a deep understanding, power, and focus would be able to…

These were the quick thoughts that filtered through his mind before he felt the impact, a massive concussive force slamming into his torso with enough power to send him hurtling backwards. If he didn't know any better, he would've sworn that a starship had just hit him dead center.

Ribs cracked, bones broke, muscles were torn, and he was certain that at least a few of his organs were now badly bruised. Then the pain switched to his back. Something hard, and yet fragile, resisted his movement for a moment before shattering.

Maul realized only too late that he hadn't been able to slow his trajectory as he had practiced, which meant the only possible barrier was the glass window behind him. It had only held up for the briefest of moments before smashing, the pieces slashing into his back and causing further harm to his already damaged body.

Luckily, he was over the city, rather than a sheer cliff, and moments later he managed to turn midair, allowing his instincts to take over and grab onto the closest object to stop his descent. It had been a railing on the roof of a house, but he was still moving too fast, and the strain of the stop further agitated his bruises.

Still, he was able to secure his hold long enough to glance about and ensure that he could make it to the ground without further injury. Dropping down, the Sith staggered to the nearby wall, bracing himself as he took several deep breaths and took stock of his situation and his next move.

The child, whoever he was, had to be something unique. There had been no disturbance in The Force when he had lashed out, no flash of warning or tingling before the damage had been done.

How? How had a child mastered such a technique? It was evident now that the boy was a student of his Master, only Sidious could remain so cloaked in The Dark Side that none could sense him even when utilizing The Force with such power. This merely confirmed his master had, in fact, broken the 'Rule of Two'. No matter though, he would return, cut the boy to pieces, and then begin planning against his Master's…

"Stop!"

A commanding voice called out, and Maul focused in on a road across the plaza he had landed in. It was then that he saw them, two brown robed figures, glowing blades already humming in their hands.

The Jedi

He was right, they had slipped onto the planet during the chaos in the hours prior and were now accompanying the Queen to retake her planet.

It was a bad location, with the roads being far too wide to prevent a two-on-one battle. Not only that but he was injured and without any sort of backup. But Darth Maul's rage was now burning in full force, not only anger at the situation he had been forced to endure in 'babysitting' the Viceroy and his staff, but also in being wounded by a child.

The Jedi would die, and he would make sure of it. It didn't matter whether he was at full strength or nearly dead, an aged Master and a Padawan who had never faced a saber-wielding enemy would be no match for him.

***HotF***

Padme stared in shock, and more than a little disgust, as the two men walked away.

The Jedi had been sent to aid her in dealing with the Trade Federation, and then, once the situation was clearly out of their control, to escort her back to Coruscant. They had done this, and then returned to protect her in freeing her people, despite not having any other 'guardians of the peace' to assist.

She had begun to associate the Jedi Order with the Senate in a sense, that the higher ups might be borderline useless but there were clearly some very good people in the 'lower ranks'… that is until this moment. A cloaked figure stood across from them, tattoos obvious on his face and a snarl on his lips. The two Jedi seemed to focus in on him, with the elder telling her that they would 'handle this' and for her and the rest to advance onto the palace.

What!? They were just leaving her to capture the Viceroy while they pursued someone else without so much as an explanation!? Hell, she hadn't even warranted a look back, the two 'knights' already focused in on their chosen adversary.

It was one more abandonment, one more betrayal that shattered the Queen's confidence in those that controlled the Republic. If the Jedi felt this breaking they didn't so much as react, and with that she turned to lead her guard on.

***HotF***

Unbeknownst to the Jedi, Sith, or any of the Naboo a boy had slipped out of the same broken window, sliding down the wall and leaping across rooftops to follow the one who had threatened to attack him. Despite knowing that lives were going to be lost, and likely already had been, Anakin still wasn't completely comfortable with taking them himself. Thus, he wanted to be sure that the Sith had, in fact, survived.

To be honest he hadn't expected his attack to be so effective against the tattooed warrior. He knew all about the natural defenses those trained in The Force accumulated and figured that someone else who had been trained since childhood would not have taken as much damage as the man did.

That was when Anakin had spotted the other two lightsaber wielding warriors advancing on the third. Should he intervene? No, it probably wouldn't make any difference even if he did. Some just could not get past the hatreds of the past.

Instead, he took note of a very pretty girl nearby, her hair tied up and a blaster in hand. She looked… upset. The boy frowned, 'upset' wasn't a very good look on her, and she seemed like someone who normally had a very nice smile. Maybe she was someone who normally lived on Naboo and saw what was happening. Maybe she was here to help?

Well, if he couldn't change anything between the three trained Force users then maybe he could save lives through the other ground instead.

No harm in following along just in case.

***HotF***

A/N: I hear feedback and do try to make changes I swear! Well so long as it is useful feedback and not just "ugh this sucks".

I will be attempting to emphasize other individuals in the story as the chapters continue and will make them badass participants rather than just useless bystanders who need Anakin to save them.