She slid down her blue to swing to Obi-Wan’s belly as her red kept his lightsaber at bay. Obi-Wan awkwardly avoid the slash and kicked her ribs.
In one smooth motion, Crimos threw her blue up to grab Kenobi’s boots and using his own momentum she pulled him, swung his body and threw him to the pavement.
Obi-Wan rolled as her two blades came hammering down where he lay.
Crimos use the Force to threw several destroyed battle droids to Obi-Wan and while the Jedi were deflecting the flying metals, Crimos attacked and gave him a series of ultrafast slices and slashes that almost grazed the Jedi’s skin, flesh and even bones.
Darth Maul saw the Jedi easily allowing itself to be guided by the Force to avoid and parry every strike of Crimos. Maul raised his hands and the numerous littered destroyed droid fragments, pieces and parts comes sailing down on the single Jedi.
Obi-Wan began to be overwhelmed by the relentless droid scraps being hurled at him from almost every direction.
Crimos took advantage of the distraction and gave Obi-Wan a series of lunge and strikes in a blur of left, right, up and down.
Obi-Wan surrendered entirely to the Force, allowing his movements to be guided. Time seemed to slow down as he started to move faster and faster than he has ever experienced before. It felt like he could see where Crimos’ two blades would land by the twitch of her shoulders, like he knows from which direction a hurled droid parts would come sailing down on him.
Obi-Wan’s blue lightsaber was everywhere and in additional, he uses the Force to shove or redirect the flying pieces from hitting him.
Qui-Gon saw everything from one of the open manhole. He came there to fetch his apprentice and when he saw the fighting begin between Obi-Wan and Crimos, he held himself back and watches to see how his student would do. When the Sith started hurling droids at him, Qui-Gon almost got out and give a hand but he felt something in the Force around his apprentice and saw the intensity and concentration of Obi-Wan.
It was on that time that Qui-Gon Jinn was fully convinced that his apprentice is ready to become a Knight. The Jedi Master refrained himself from interceding although kept his eyes and senses alert in case the Sith decided to join the duel.
On the other side of the avenue, one of the soldiers that stayed for cover fire for the Jedi’s retreat watched the lightsaber battle in awe. He has taken out his holo-recorder and recorded the duel right from when Crimos leaped to engage Obi-Wan at the beginning.
Darth Maul felt the boy’s power in the Force and almost admired the padawan’s control and harmony. Snarling, Maul hurled more random objects from all over the plaza, from the droid pieces, to rocks, pots of plants, poles, windows and everything else he could fling towards the young Jedi.
Crimos was as immersed in the battle as Obi-Wan are, her inbred lust for violence and brutality kicked in her conditioning. Everything around her vanished in her sights and all she could see was the Jedi before her.
The Nightsister in her veins screamed for the blood of Obi-Wan and Crimos became a living machine of death as the attacks of her swirling blades of blue and red intensified, occasionally she also kept using Force-shoves, -grips and lightning at the Jedi.
Obi-Wan endured everything, his muscles strained at the sheer force of her blows, his concentration buckles at every electrical jolt her Force-lightning induced onto him. The young Jedi’s heart pounded rapidly, his adrenalin working overtime.
Darth Maul barred his teeth as the Force thrummed in energy around them. The double exertions of Crimos and the Jedi created an unseen but palpable static in the Force, enticing the Zabrak Sith to join the raging battle.
Qui-Gon felt danger and focused his attention at the Sith above the stairs. He could see that the tattooed Zabrak were starting to poise for an attack of his own. He held out his lightsaber and prepared to come out should the Sith make his move against his apprentice.
Suddenly Obi-Wan were thrown ten meters across the plaza and fell hard on his back. As the young Jedi started to get up Crimos stretched out her hand and Force-gripped Obi-Wan’s heart. The young Jedi screamed in agonizing pain and struggled to get up and counter the Dark Jedi’s assault. Qui-Gon saw the Sith stop hurling objects and just stood there, unmoving.
Qui-Gon was about to leap out from the sewer when a soldier from across the avenue came out and fired a rocket launcher at Lady Crimos then retreated on the manhole without waiting to see what happen to his shot.
Crimos sensed the danger and whirled. She saw the missile coming on her fast. She released her grip on Obi-Wan to stop the missile. At that short gap of her defenses Obi-Wan ran to the nearest open manhole and dove.
Darth Maul shouted in rage when he saw the Jedi escape. He ignored the explosion that threw Crimos hard on one of the AAT. The enraged Zabrak went into the manhole and gave chase.
The sewers of Naboo are large enough to contain Banthas in single file, as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon made their escape below they rode the waiting speederbikes and sped off.
The other soldier ended his recording and gunned his speederbike’s engines as the Sith came down the sewer from behind him.
Darth Maul reached out in the Force to kill the soldier but his quarry was already speeding away from him. Darth Maul then heard a beeping noise and saw that a number of bombs were planted around him.
Cursing, the Sith jumped out of the sewer as that section exploded, that side of the plaza eroded and fire and smoke licked out.
* * *
Governor Sio Bibble was taken to the medical wing of the central ziggurat. Queen Amidala, Boss Nass and the other unit leaders listened to the reports of Vana about their rescue.
Artoo Detoo, Anakin Skywalker and Jar-jar Binks were requested by Obi-Wan to witness his Knighthood.
Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan and the three witnesses stood at the top of the central ziggurat. The rooftop were currently empty, the Royal Starship has been moved to a more hidden location for repairs.
Anakin and Jar-jar sat on the cold stone while Artoo Detoo silently records the simple ceremony. At the center stood Master Jinn and before him, Obi-Wan was on his knee, head bowed.
“Obi-Wan Kenobi, you have displayed a great deal of patience, discipline and dedication to the teachings of the Force in your years of training under the hallowed halls of the Jedi Temple. You have endured and accomplished feats beyond your age under the command of the Jedi Order. You have proved yourself wizened and ready from your years of trial under my tutelage. Like any other Jedi, all of us are in a continuous process of learning. The Jedi may rise to ranks but they will always be students in the Force.” Qui-Gon said in revenant.
“You have outdone your master in many ways today. I am proud and honored to be that master. There is no more I could teach you that you cannot learn on your own in your coming years. You have been a son to me as I have been a father to you. The bond of Master and apprentice is as deep and binding as any bond of kinship.” Qui-Gon said looking directly in the eyes of Obi-Wan.
“Obi-Wan Kenobi, rise, Knight of the Jedi Order.” Qui-Gon proclaimed and ignited his emerald lightsaber and with one fluid motion, use the blade’s tip to severe the Padawan braid of the new Jedi Knight.
Jar-jar grinned at Obi-Wan and Anakin let out a deep sigh at the momentous event he has just witnesses and vowed to himself that one day he will pass such trial and achieve such honor.
Obi-Wan Kenobi picked up his braided hair, stood up and bowed deeply at his Master.
“Now, you are indeed ready. Rest my Knight, tomorrow we go to war.” Qui-Gon Jinn said to him.
Chapter 44: Ouch Time
The Naboo and its allies slept early. The entire mountain range and forest region of the Negotta became as silent as a tomb.
A few hours before sunrise, up on the highest peak of the Negotta Mountain five figures sat by the ledge looking out at the serene greenery ten thousand feet below.
Jar-jar blew smoke from the new pipe given to him by Boss Nass, “Dessa something about Naboo that ma
kes messa coming back no matter what.”
“Not to sound biased but I agree with you Jar-jar. Naboo is a wonderful place to live in peace.” Padmé nodded, her feet dangling by the edge.
“I’ve always wanted to sit on top of one of the Needles on the Jundland Wastes back home.” Anakin smiled, recalling his dream with Kitster.
“The Red Spire on Devaron is thirty thousand feet high. I only got as far as the first ten thousand feet.” Obi-Wan recalled his mission to Devaron with his friend Quinlan Vos.
Artoo Detoo simply took in the panoramic view in silence, leaving the conversations to his Gungan, and human companions.
“Your Highness, I am still honored that you are sitting here with us.” Obi-Wan suddenly said with a wink at Anakin.
Padmé saw the exchange but she pretended not to and smiled at Obi-Wan. “I’m still the same Padmé you all met in our little off-world adventure.”
“So what am I supposed to call you know? Your Majesty?” Anakin asked innocently.
“You guys are my friends. Let’s just use that on formalities and in public. But out here, among friends, I’m Padmé.” She placed an arm over Obi-Wan and Anakin.
“This is perfect. All three of us, we should always stick together no matter what the future has in store for us.” Anakin said to Padmé and Obi-Wan then looked at Jar-jar and Artoo Detoo.
“You too guys, of course.” Anakin added and Artoo beeped a thank you.
Jar-jar groaned and stood up, “Youssa spare me the mushy-mushy little Annie, ugh! Dessa one reason why youssa humans are ussa disgusting!”
Anakin, Padmé and Obi-Wan laughed as Jar-jar trudges back to their narglatchs.
“I agree with you Anakin. Our destinies may lie on different paths but our friendship will never be lost.” Padmé nodded.
“Inner peace, this is what my master always tells me to have. If you are at peace with yourself, you can endure any trials.” Obi-Wan looked out at the rising sun.
“Wessa must be heading down, the Grand Army is about to move.” Jar-jar called out and they all got up and started their long ride down the mountain.
* * *
Captain Roos Tarpals tightened the saddle of his narglatch. Ordinarily he and the rest of the first wave army unit would be riding kaadus but General Binks wanted to inflict maximum damage to the maccaneks in the first wave alone, so all of Tarpals units horded their trained narglatchs and tamed new ones just to make sure everyone in his unit will be mounted.
Nym’s men have provided armor plates for their beasts. All armors were in fact came from the metal scraps of the droid army and vehicles the underground resistance group has destroyed from day one.
Clynt Resnon also gave them a very useful gift, one hundred crates of EMP grenades with a blast radius of five meters. The Moviana commander explained to the Gungan army officers how to use it.
Tarpals inspected his unit, they were all silent, and each of them had lost someone during the maccaneks attack on Otoh Gunga. They were all dead set on exacting revenge for their loved ones.
Major Fassa passed by him with a nod and went straight to her own unit, the foot infantry, most commonly known as the militiagungs, a ragtag warriors comprising of civilians who are capable of fighting and wielding their weapons. She busied herself by checking on their energy shields and other weapons.
Jar-jar came running. He stopped to catch his breath first before addressing Tarpals and Fassa. “The cerrabores are ready!”
Boss Nass, Tarpals, Fassa and several other humans ran to follow Jar-jar who led them to a natural clearing under the roofed branches and leaves.
There it was, six hundred cerrabores, domesticated and heavily armored. In the old days before Otoh Gunga was established, the Gungan tribes have used these mighty beasts as battering rams for enemy tribes’ walls.
“Dessa be put on youssa front rows, dessa will take care of those maccaneks tanks!” Jar-jar told Tarpals who grinned like a child with a new toy.
“Dessa cerrabores are ussen wonderful!” Tarpals nodded excitedly.
Jar-jar then joined Boss Nass to inspect the other weapons and the soldiers assigned to them. Clustered across the forest in the perimeter of Jafanara were Raapturs, Energy catapults, swifts for scouting and lerraa’s with mounted cannons.
As the Gungan Army made their final preparations for the upcoming war, Captain Panaka and Nym were also making their own rounds on their own people. Although the human side of their alliance was small in numbers compare to the numerous Gungans, they matched it with experience and advance weaponry.
Hutt Syndicate and Black Sun mercenaries mingled in an uneasy truce with the Naboo resistance, although Panaka and the Advisory Council felt alarmed at the presence of too many criminals fighting on their side, General Binks, Nym and Resnon explained to him the necessity of their allegiance since they could not get any support from the other Chommell Sector worlds and from the Republic itself.
Graff Zapalo’s real worry lies in the aftermath of the war against the Trade Federation, surely the Queen would not allow Black Sun and the Hutts to have a commercial hold on Naboo.
Eckener assured Zapalo that they will find a compromise somewhere and that Nym and Resnon will do everything they can to keep the commerce of Naboo strictly legal, no black-market and other unlawful activities and transactions.
Panaka and Nym saw Anakin with Artoo Detoo in a debate with one of their space mechanics under one of the larger Mandalorian gunship brought to them by the Moviana Patriots with the help of both the Hutt and Black Sun representatives.
“You rerouted the shielding power line to the gun turret targeting sensors, this will hinder both systems…” the tech was admonishing the boy.
“You don’t get it! I rerouted it because I have connected another line for the shields. The old line is weak and we need a stronger power input for shielding, targeting sensors must not take up more power than shielding…” Anakin stood firm on what he and Artoo did.
Nym went to them to settle the matter as Panaka went on the Spaceport Attack Unit led by Aluva D’asima.
The semi-retired Royal Handmaiden were giving last minute instructions to the rest of the Royal Handmaidens and to a dozen commanders from the Order of the Sanctuary.
“Is everything alright?” Panaka asked.
“We can draw only a portion of the droid army, if they send more against us we will be forced to take the battle through the Spaceport itself. Make sure your units will handle the rest of the enemies.” Aluva told Panaka.
“The Diversionary Units will do their job. Make sure to regroup with the Queen’s unit as soon as possible. No heroics.” Panaka said to her and move to the next group.
Jar-jar, Tarpals and Fassa ordered the entire Gungan army to start making their way across the seashore away from the sensors of the droid army towards the lower regions to the Umoko Donga jungle that serves as the borders of the Grassy Plains of Naboo.
Padmé came out of the Royal Starship in her Royal Handmaiden battle dress while Sabé came last wearing the royal battle dress, all set for her role as the Queen’s decoy.
Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan, Panaka, Boss Nass, Jar-jar, Ric Olié, Hoff Siege, Kiel, Magneta, Aluva D’asima, the Lady Crystaé, Nym, Resnon, Tarpals, Fassa, Anakin and Artoo Detoo waited for the Queen and Sabé to join them for the final debriefing.
Borvo the Hutt detached himself from his little band of private army and slid towards the gathered leaders.
“All team units are ready Your Highness.” Panaka said as Padmé stand by the parked landspeeder where Artoo were projecting the holomap of the Theed palace over the vehicle’s hood.
“We have set comm frequency to one that the Trade Federation does not use, we set it on a tight beam transmission, line-of-sight signals only, all Fambaas have been retrofitted with comm arrays to receive and bounce back our frequency to the rest of us. They will bot be able to jam it.” Resnon explained.
“Boss Nass, are your army ready?” Padmé asked the Gunga
n leader.
“Fatalities will be unavoidable. Many Gungans will fall in this assault.” Qui-Gon reminded Rugor Nass.
“Wessa ready to do ussa part!” Boss Nass assured them.
“Lord Resnon’s crew has located the droid signal transmission’s source and has confirmed our suspicions that it was originating from the Viceroy’s flagship Saak’ak. The Patriots and Nym’s fleet will draw the rest of the blockade to them and will do their best to subtly isolate the Droid Control Ship. Vengeance and Bravo Squadrons are all primed for that assault. We have coordinated our navicomputers to a series of microjumps to evade the blockade and emerge behind and above the target flagship and disable their comm towers first then their shields.” Captain Olié told them.
“I trust that you all have your respective battle plans well conceived. Now about our main purpose under all these engagements…” Padmé took the laser pointer from Panaka.
“Beneath the lowest levels of the palace lies a series of ancient cellars were dungeons used to held prisoners, they have been sealed shut by walls that now lines the basement storage antechamber. If we can get to the Solleu by the Virdugo Plunge, we could swim underwater and enter through the unused sewer leading to the old dungeons and from there cut through the wall to the basement. It will be tricky because the strong currents will continually force us down on the falls. We can no longer take the hidden passageways, it has been compromised. The Lady Crimos have discovered and used it before against us.” Padmé explained to them.
“Getting to the Solleu River is the tricky part.” Nym crossed his arms and Qui-Gon nodded in agreement.
“Leave it to us.” Obi-Wan said and looked at his master for approval.
“You’re a Knight now Obi-Wan.” Qui-Gon smiled warmly leaving the rest unsaid, “What do you have in mind?”
Obi-Wan began explaining his plan to get them past the patrolling droids in the Solleu River.
“What if the Viceroy manages to escape before we get to him? If he gets out, he could bring down the entire forces of the Trade Federation.” Nym asked everyone after all plans were laid out.
“That is why we must not fail, Nym. Everything depends on it.” Padmé answered.
“The sun is almost up now. The fog will be thinning soon.” Panaka commented.