Wrong Place, Right Time

Ch. 42

Crazy Train (Caboose and Forward Motion)

Pov: Jo

Speed! So much more speed than I had to tolerate than before! Even then, it didn't matter. Even as we flew past speeders at an alarming rate, it didn't matter how fast the senator was flying us. For we now had a mission, the first real one since Geonosis. And yet it felt like a greater risk than then. Perhaps it was the fact this was present, and the past goes through a filter.

Despite the growing danger around us, I kept my mind on the goal. Save Anakin, save the Chancellor, and get home safe. I was so focused that I didn't hear a voice call out my name until the source shook me.

"Yousa alright?!"

Now out of my trance, I looked at the gungan, "Yeah, just trying to focus on the goal!"

"Okyeday, then yousa ready to jump?!"

"What?!"

"It's right there!"

His long arm pointed dead head, directly past the car my brother was in. We were catching up.

The speeder in front moved to the left to avoid a billboard, followed by us. Waiting no time, the speeder accelerated past the rear car of the train. Our's matched their speed to begin our plan. Padmé raised the steering to reach the right elevation for the jump.

"Make sure you hold on to your blasters! You'll need them to shoot the lock to the hatch!"

"How do you know it's locked?!"

"It was passed in a bill a few years ago that all trains require them after some break ins they had! I've just kept that knowledge in mind for moments like this! It should be located at the handle!"

Looks like it pays to pay attention…

"Get ready!"

The gungan and I braced ourselves. My hand gripped the blaster as a greater feeling of dizziness pressed on my mind. It was the depth of the gap between the speeder and the train. Even though I wasn't looking down, I felt it there. An endless fall.

"Now!"

Sucking in a huge gasp of air, I jumped the gap along with the representative. It was only a few moments, but I felt the weight of the fall. Time meant nothing, until my feet felt solid ground, (metal).

It was a victory!

Yes!

That was a victory, until I felt myself leaning back to the gap we had crossed.

NOOO!

The pressure seemed to set in for my doom. Until a hand reached out.

Jar Jar!

I was saved! He reached out in time! I grabbed a hold of his hand. A sigh escaped from my mouth as my eyes closed in relief, waiting to be pulled back…

Waiting…

Waiting… As I creeped slowly backwards!

In an instant, my eyes opened up to see the face of my supposed savior! Despite the species difference, I could tell he was in distress! More importantly, he was sliding forward!

Is he not strong enough?! Then why-?!

It hit me in a flash of realization! He hadn't intended to catch me and was trying to maintain a balance of his own! Inadvertently, I pulled the poor creature to his doom as well!

There was nothing I could do but scream as the two of us slid forward to the abyss!

But before we went all the way forward, the gungan's feet slipped for him to fall on his butt, pulling me forward away from the side… I was saved… we were saved!…

That's what I told myself before a bump on the track reminded me where we were currently. An upheaval of wind nearly blew us off again. Quickly, I sat up and hunched over to get a better traction for my feet. It was a high speed train. But not nearly as fast as most modern trains. And it looked more like a subway from appearance.

My eyes searched for Padmé as she was maintaining her speed with the train. Watching for any obstacles that may stop her. She waved and I waved back.

Then I looked at the gungan once more and noticed something important and yelled.

"Jar Jar!"

"Yes?!"

"Where's your gun?!"

"I'm Gungan, yes!"

"No! Where is your blaster!?"

"Faster?! Yes! It feels like it!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the dreadful miscommunication. What we needed was to get out of the wake of the wind rushing by us! Looking around, I saw the hatch from the description.

It was viced down by a rod laid across the entrance. With nothing better to use, I used the blaster I had and shot at the corner of the mechanism that held it in place. A dent was formed with a small pool of slag.

Again!

I fired with a little more care, making sure I was out of a splash zone.

Two shots.

Three shots!

Four!

And the lock was no more.

My hands struggled lifting up on the cover as winds pressed down on it! Soon the Dino man was there to lend a helping hand and helped push it up the rest of the way. He held his hand out to hold it in place to allow me to slide in.

At least he had manners…

I braced myself for the drop to the floor, which did nothing to help as much as I had hoped… my leg rammed into a poll as my knee bent outward. I clutched it for a moment until I heard a thump behind me.

Turning to look, I saw Jar Jar laid out on the floor quickly scrambling to get up. When he did, he noticed my stare as he chuckled, "Excuse me."

"It's fine. Jar Jar? Where's your blaster?"

The Rep. Looked down at his hands and quickly spun around to see if it was anywhere on him. His face soon became downtrodden.

"... I don't know…"

A side of me wanted to scold him for forgetting such an important thing for an emergency… only to stop myself knowing I could have just as easily done the same. It's not like we had holsters. And if he did have it, he may not have been able to save me from my fall.

"It's alright Jar Jar. It happens to the best of us. It's enough having you here."

His face brightened up, ready to move on. And speaking of that. The car we found ourselves in was empty. It was a mix between a train and a subway. It had rows of seats and poles sticking up the entire way for each row, and one on each side of the aisle running horizontally the whole length. The car had windows and as I glanced outside, I noticed Padmé's speeder keeping pace with us. She glanced our way and gave a small salute with her hand. My response was the same.

One final thing I realized was that the room was cleared out by the action at the station.

Meaning we don't have to worry about collateral.

Jar Jar stepped forward, only to hit his head on an upper handrail.

Well… almost no collateral.

Then trying a step for myself, I moved toward the next car. Nothing tripped me up. I kept up my pace till we came to the entrance to the next car. My body moved to the side and glanced in the window.

Clear.

Jar Jar caught up, crouching slightly as we passed through the door.

The blaster in my hand felt heavy as we pressed onward. My hand gripped it harder. Waiting for any sudden movements.

"Jo?"

"Yes, Jar Jar?"

"How many yousa thinking there are?"

I paused in my walk at the question and looked back unsure.

"I don't know… Ten… Twenty?"

His voice soon became concerned.

"Uhh, Do yousa thinking we should have brought more than a couple of blasters?"

"It was two, and no… I didn't think-. Aaron. He'll take care of it. We just need to keep them in one spot."

He nodded in acceptance.

Our trek through the train quickly resumed, walking slowly to the next car.

"Have you ever done this kind of thing before?"

At this point he might be trying to occupy his mind of the impending fight with these questions… So am I.

"No."

"Has your brother."

"N-... Yes. About a month ago. It wasn't a moving train, but it was a battle."

"Den we have a good chance of succeeding?"

"... I hope."

It was unfortunate that I couldn't be more reassuring for the creature, let alone myself. I mentally waved off the doubts and reached out to the door only to get grabbed.

"Going somewhere missy?!"

First thing I did was a mistake. The blaster in my other hand fell! Next I yelped! Looking at the perp, he was an average looking punk. A ruffed up jacket and scars across his face. In his free hand was a sword, a sword that was about to come across my captured arm!

Like this?... It's going to end like this?!...

It happened in slow motion. But for a moment, a flash went across my mind. My power!… I saw my fist moving forward right across the man's face. I wasn't paying attention, but I copied what I was seeing in real time. As the vision stopped, I realized something. It was my gauntlet arm! And the damage was already in motion!

The gauntlet had run across my thigh with enough force to hit the trigger of the hidden blade to stab the man in his jaw.

"AAAAugh!"

I pulled it back to clean for my taste as I heard flesh rend from the removal!

The man grabbed his mouth and fell to the ground wallowing in agony. It wasn't funny, it wasn't a game… It was too personal to fight like this!

A gun, you pull and don't put much effort into it. This was my very being! And I had killed him, if not wounded him for life.

I think I'm gonna be sick…

My stomach churned as a hand rested on my shoulder.

"Yousa alright?!"

"N-no… I didn't mean to-. I mean… I don't like it…"

There were the only words I could use at the time. The gungan looked at me funny before saying,

"Nobody isa sayin you should. At least I think Padmé would say that."

I looked him in the yellow of his eyes and saw genuineness in them. He then looked down and picked up the sword.

"Hey! Messa armed again!"

As he lifted it up it flipped out of his hand and a humming sound was heard as it landed blade down to the metal floor stabbing mere inches from our feet.

"Whoops."

That doesn't even cover it.

As much as I learned my distaste for going up close and personal, I knew I had to suck it up for the sake of the plan.

"I'll take it, Jar Jar…"

"Yousa sure?"

"Yes… I won't lock up next time."

Next time…

I didn't want there to be a next time.

How many more will it take?

No one answered my internal dilemma. So I opted to pick up the blaster I had dropped as well.

"See if you can find a blaster while we go through the cars. I'll hold them off."

"Right."

I moved to the door once more to peek inside. Two of them on the opposite end of the car, hiding behind seats like the man I had stabbed. Both with the barrels of their weapons aimed at the door. Clearly aware of a threat.

So much for stealth.

"Get ready."

Binks nodded his head as we rushed through the door for cover! The thugs hesitated when we ran through. Soon they broke cover and moved to the next set of seats and started firing!

I shot first hitting the back of one seat a row ahead of them. They answered with fire of their own! Meanwhile, Jar Jar just seemed to go off on his own! Getting hit by everything in the room except a blast bolt. They tried hitting him but they kept missing! It proved an ample enough of a distraction for me to move forward! Careful not to get hit by a stray bolt, I zigged and zagged from row to row!

Then I stopped a mid way through, Jar Jar was finally in their line of fire. As they pulled the trigger, instead of landing a hit on him, the representative of Naboo dropped backwards with the bolts sliding past him! Instead of being dumbstruck by the Matrix level of dodge, I broke cover of my own and fired a stream of blasts! First shot hit a man's side, the second hit the other's leg, third hit a neck, and the fourth one hit a wall. Then the fifth bolt hit the last man standing of the two in the chest. The last three just hit the wall behind them.

"Jar Jar! You alright?!"

"Ohhh, messa hit my head…"

He's fine…

I walked over to one of the blasters and picked it up. As Binks stood up I handed it to him firmly.

"Don't lose it."

Again, I peeked into the door and shot my head back, while feeling queasy, seeing about ten of them talking and discussing something. I tried to listen to what was being said, but all I knew was someone was mad by his yelling. I peaked again to see five of them leave, and I immediately recognized one of the figures. Anakin! He was out like a light, and being held over the shoulder of a man with wraps around his metal cap. Behind him another figure left with an older man on his shoulder. He was hidden by a trench coat and a fedora-like hat. Next to him was a shortish hairy creature that looked akin to a wolf man (Werewolf).

The man with rags looked down the aisle to look at the door I was behind. His eyes looked tired, like someone who was up for days. Then I remembered what Riyo said about the medicine. Obviously, he was on the same stuff that made her grandma insane… Or worse.

It didn't matter because we had to help the downed Jedi.

"Get ready, Jar Jar."

"Ready."

With that, I opened the door to break for cover. Jar Jar followed behind, getting nearly hit by a bolt to his leg.

"It's over Mando! We'll take you, too!"

?

They still think I'm my brother? We could use that to our advantage!

"What?! Wessa ain't Mandoas!"

I fought the urge to face palm and instead I slightly peaked from my cover and yelled, "Let him go!"

The man laughed, "Now why would I go and do a thing like that? We need to recoup our losses that Mando gave us. And if neither of you are him, then we'll just get rid of you!"

Mr Rags directed his hand towards us, signaling his troop to attack. They moved in with little to no fear while firing shots in our direction. Like before, we tried to break for cover ahead. Only this time there was an increased spray of blasts from Mr Rags!

He welded two blasters! Fired and aimed at superhuman speeds! We were lucky that time. His shots only missed because Jar Jar stumbled again and tripped my foot with his. If we had run like before, we wouldn't be here! Binks sat across the aisle from me breathing heavily about something. I looked down to see I was wrong. He had taken a hit right in his shoulder!

His free hand was cradling his wound, teeth grinding and eyes closed. I didn't see any blood, which was good. All the same I asked quietly over the fire.

"Are you alright?"

"N-no."

"Can you lift your blaster with that hand?"

"No. Messa can barely move it."

It wasn't looking good.

"What about your other hand?"

"It's good. Messa can still fight."

It was noble and I wanted to tell him no. But I knew already that this was going to be a dangerous mission, and couldn't afford to have him out yet!

"Alright! Then we got to hold it here. That's what Aaron said to do."

I returned fire at the men behind my cover, hoping I could stall for time. It was futile, their steps grew louder on the metal floor. My eyes were closed, praying that a bolt would hit one of them and make them stop advancing. Sound seemed to stop as they were about three cars away when I broke cover and tried to fire a shot.

It was no use as a bolt slammed right into my blaster and closed my eyes from the sparks that flew from it!

What?! That didn't… No!

I opened my eyes to see myself back down, and fear filled my soul as I saw the remains of my weapon.

Now all I had was a hidden blade and a sword. I was now useless in this fight! With no time to think, the enemy moved in for the attack!

I held onto my blade, waiting for them to round the corner. Not a moment later, a man did just that! Though before I swung my blade, I saw in front of me three apparitions of myself. It was almost like me, but not. A perspective of me on the lenses of a movie. The first one had me see me throwing the sword at the man and missing. The second showed me swinging at the man and missing. The final one showed me going for a stab. I chose the stab without thought!

It landed right in the man's gut as flesh squelched at its entering and rearranging the man's internal parts! A gasp left him as he collapsed onto me, pushing me to the ground.

Soon after another came down the aisle to see the result. Fear was now in him at the sight of blood on the ground. He fell to the ground by tripping over the gungan's legs and crawled backwards to the opposite side of the cabin. He was helplessly trying to escape. I didn't want to kill like this. I had said I would do whatever it took.

Maybe-.

Just then, a thought entered my mind at what my friend Tom had told me long ago for a situation like this. The risk of mercy, and when it is right.

If I'm ever in a threatening situation, and I'm out numbered. No stepping back, or I lose.

I grabbed the blaster of the dying man on top of me and aimed at him. For once, it hit right where I wanted it. In the center of his head, ending it in a moment.

Not waiting another moment, I broke the cover of the seats and prepared to hit my target this time. Quickly, I aimed at the last man and fired a barrage. Rags fired too. Our blasts hitting each other's blasters.

After that, what felt like minutes passed with nothing happening between us. Each of us seemed to be trying to comprehend the odds. Soon, a laugh escaped from the man as he stood there. Following that, he was mumbling.

"Looks like I need to calibrate my aim when I get back. But I think my melee parameters will finish the job."

Any thoughts on the man were driven away when he revealed a blade of his own. A two edged sword, similar to mine, except mine was one sided.

Tossing the Jedi to the back of the train car behind him, the man got in a stance not that different from what I learned at the temple. The only difference was his posture was absolutely perfect compared to me. This brought out too many questions that I didn't have time to figure out! Worst case scenario he was a learner who dropped out from the Jedi order. If so, he has more time practicing it!

I copied him with my own, left foot forward, right foot back. Right hand above the left. With the seats in the way, I knew that my swings could only be in the upper body section and any thrusts would be fine.

And I had a secret weapon, I couldn't reveal it until I was sure!

Without delay, the fight began. He took a step forward, I matched. Another to me, and I to him. As soon as we were in striking distance he thrusted forward to my face! Reacting on instinct, I moved my blade down for a deflect. But before he could strike, he pulled back with a kick to my stomach! As the air left me, I stepped back. Taking advantage, he moved for another strike. It was an upper swing down the Middle. I held out to block, only for him to move in close. That was enough to make me jolt back as he was going for a stab to my heart!

I stopped it by moving to the side through a row of seats. Still, Rags pursued. I moved back to the aisle and thought of something in the moment. He had prepared a counter ahead of his attacks. I needed to do the same!

As the man moved back to the center, I made my move with a stab right at his abdomen. He blocked it, but I wasn't done! Instead I used my left hand to punch his fingers! He yelped and nearly dropped his defense, stepping back. In retaliation, he went for a horizontal swipe. He missed as I dropped to the ground behind me to dodge. Following that, my opponent moved in with a vertical stab to my back. Before he did, I turned around and thrusted my sword at his feet. It landed into his shoe and possibly struck a toe.

In agony he howled, jumping back a few steps as I sat back up to pursue. His attention was still on his foot as I did vertical strike after vertical strike, keeping my posture I had trained for! Soon we were back where we started. He got back in his own stance, but weaker than before. Again he made a move, but I was prepared for this! I reached into a seat that had a bag left by one of the fleeing passengers and threw it at the man.

Rags flinched and I prepared to strike, until he started shouting.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!"

"Wha-?"

"You're doing it wrong!"

Huh?

"You're supposed to keep with the forms! My programming recognized your technique the moment you took your stance! Form One, right?!"

This baffled me, this man was trying to kill me and kidnap people, and he was lecturing me for my fight?! And-!…

Programming?

"Yyes?"

"Then quit doing that!"

"Doing what?!"

"You're not following through with it! I'd understand if it was the other forms! But this isn't in it! You're supposed to follow with a strike to a vital point! And then I counter you! You're ruining it!"

Does he think this is a game?!

"You're trying to kill me!"

"Then fight!"

He moved in again, only now, he was furious! He swung left, I blocked right. Then he attacked from his right, I raised the sword to my left. Like clockwork, the blows to me were dealt. Up, down, left, right, all around with a thrust. Each one pushed me back until my back was to the door of the train car. As it hit I stumbled down. He came in and rushed to stab me. I raised my sword towards him, the blade glided along to hit his cross guard and it rounded it to strike his fingers.

Again he yelled in pain! I gave a yell of my own!

Only I was mad at him! And wanted to live!

My body rushed back up and I moved forward, I struck in a similar fashion to what he was doing. Meanwhile his form was weakening, I could tell. It was perfect a few minutes ago, and now it had no strength to back it up. He was pushed back like I was and again we soon found ourselves in the center! He moved in close as our blades crossed each other, each of us trying to hold our strength over the other. Rags spoke in annoyance, "You're no Jedi!"

I couldn't take his out of the blue inquisitiveness anymore, "What difference does that make?!"

"It means I've been fighting you wrong this whole time! But you have the first form… Who taught you?!"

"The Jedi! Who taught you?!"

He scoffed for a moment, then suddenly, he chuckled before it became a laugh!

"No one! Nobody needs to teach me anything! I can learn well on my own!"

"O-ok?!"

"But you need a lesson! Thinking You can lie to the likes of Me?!"

"I don't even know you?!"

I stopped struggling as I saw something behind the man. In fact, the sight scared me enough to jump back from my opponent! Behind him was Anakin, eyes completely white. And he was infuriated! Much like something out of an old horror movie.

Rags was confused before he turned around and saw Anakin for himself. He jumped just as he saw his face.

The Padawan spoke, "Will you both… SHUT UUUP!"

His voice was like a loud echo as it passed through the entire car! An echo that hurt my ear drums! And as soon as the words finished, an aura formed around him as it ran to a focal point near the center of his body. And an eruption followed suit. It sent seats flying, it pushed back glass from its place, and it blew back the two of us. My own screams were deafened from the burst of energy! I found myself pushed back on the ground, as Rags took the brunt of the force! He collapsed not too far from me. Wind beating against us.

In the end, only Anakin stood. Though even he fell forward seconds later like a dead person.

Unfortunately, the first to stand after was Rags. But that name would no longer suit him. Metalhead would work now.

He was bald, but behind his head was a strip of metal that reached around to where his ears would be. In its place was electronics. Its purpose seemed almost like a cradle of sorts. What it actually did I could only begin to speculate.

Currently, Metal head was panting from the blast. He looked down to me to see me staring at him. Confusion was across his face, then a slight fear came across him. A hand reached behind to touch his metal attachment. Fear turned into a sickly smile.

"Well… You weren't supposed to see that."

In slight pain, I sat up to prepare for his inevitable charge at me. Counting my options, I looked to Jar Jar, appearing mostly unharmed by the blast as his chair stood its ground. Albeit still wounded from the bolt earlier.

He was the last option if I failed to win. The best thing I could do now was buy time.

"I can tell."

"Well, I might as well explain."

I shook my head and answered him in a forceful mocking way.

"Mom always said never to talk to strangers…"

Oddly, he smiled, "Fair enough. The name is Blane!"

I didn't respond, so he continued,

"You see, I'm one of a kind. A prototype of you will. Humanity's next evolutionary step! And other races will soon follow!"

?

"You mean you weren't born like that?"

He chuckled at my ignorance, "Have you been living under a rock? Of course nobody is like me!"

"Sorry?"

Again, he laughed.

"Sorry?! Seriously?! I'm great! Better than I was!

He pointed his sharp weapon my way,

"Better than you."

With an open space available to the now named "Blane", he was free to let loose. He swung his sword in a way that was more foreign to me.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, he may have been better than me…

End Chapter