"Crossroads of the Force" [PG-13] - Chapter Seventeen
"CROSSROADS OF THE FORCE"
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
WORLPORT, ORD MANTELL
The air taxi finally delivered Padme, her three companions and R2-D2 to Acroon Street, in the middle of Worlport’s spaceport. As the four people and the droid headed toward the hangar’s entrance, several beeps emitted from R2. His silver-and-blue dome shifted toward the right. Padme directed her gaze in the same direction and gasped.
“What is it?” Bail demanded.
The former Nabooan senator curtly replied, “Stormtroopers. To our right.”
The other three surreptiously stared at the four stormtroopers casually walking along the street. “Don’t panic,” Master Olin murmured. “Try not to do anything that might attract their attention.”
Holding her breath, Padme quietly walked beside Bail and R2-D2. They followed Voranda and the former Jedi into the hangar’s passageway. “I only hope that we will have a clear shot to the Alberforce,” the red-haired Voranda commented. “Once we board the ship, strap on. I intend to . . .” She paused as her legs came to a halt. Master Olin paused, as well. “Oh no!”
Master Olin grimly added, “This does not look good. More stormtroopers.”
Padme glanced past Voranda and spotted at least three stormtroopers firing at someone. “What can we do?”
Voranda quietly answered, “They seemed to be preoccupied. I say we brush past them as quickly as possible and head for the ship.”
“Why don’t we split up as planned?” a frowning Bail demanded.
The former Jedi replied, “They don’t seem to be interested in us. I agree with Captain Sen. We should head for the ship. And quickly.”
The four people and the droid rushed behind the stormtroopers and quickly headed toward the Alberforce. A curious Padme glanced over her shoulders and surprised to see the young man and the Wookie she had met yesterday evening. A petite young woman whom Padme recognized as Zoebeida Dahlma’s aide stood beside them. “Why I know those two,” she murmured. “They . . .” A bigger surprise awaited her when she glanced past the occupants of the other starship. She saw Darth Rasche, the Emperor’s apprentice from a few HoloNet News reports, engaged in a lightsaber duel . . . with her long estranged husband. “Anakin!” she cried.
The others overheard her and stopped in their tracks. Bail merely stared at the two combatants in shock. Voranda whispered, “Set?” Padme stared at the pilot. How did she . . .?
"Rasche!" The name spitted out from Master Olin’s mouth with great enmity. He regarded the Sith Lord with near hatred. Then the former Jedi swiftly removed his lightsaber and switched it on. A blue blade illuminated.
Bail cried out, “Olin! No!”
Too late. Master Olin rushed toward the combatants with lightsaber in hand. The stormtroopers firing upon the other starship, noticed the newcomers and began to fire. Padme cried to the droid, “R2, my blaster!”
While Olin deflected the stormtroopers’ blasts with his lightsaber, the astromech droid beeped several times before it extended a blaster pistol to Padme. She grabbed it and began to fire. Both Bail and Voranda whipped out their own weapons and followed her example.
The stormtroopers divided their attention between Padme and her companions and the trio firing from the other ship’s boarding ramp. The Wookie managed to kill one trooper. Padme shot another. While the battle continued to rage, the Nabooan woman attempted to inch closer toward the Alberforce, as much as she could. But the stormtroopers made it nearly impossible. Not even Anakin’s duel with Lord Rasche could distract them. Then to her surprise, the Sith Lord kicked her husband, causing the latter to fall backward. A gasp escaped Padme’s mouth, as Rasche raised his lightsaber for the killing blow.
Padme opened her mouth to cry out in protest. But the cry from Master Olin’s lips drowned out hers. He charged the Sith Lord with one hand gripping his lightsaber. Four stormtroopers entered the hangar and immediately fired at the former Jedi. One of the blasts struck Olin in the chest and he immediately fell to the ground.
Bail rushed forward to help the former Jedi under a hail of blaster fire. “Help me!” he cried to Padme and Voranda.
The two women rushed to the senator’s side. Padme shot a quick glance at Lord Rasche and was surprised to find him fighting Anakin again. How did he . . .?
“Padme! I need you and Captain Sen to help me get him to the ship,” Bail barked.
Mindful of the charred flesh and blood that marked Olin’s chest, Padme helped Bail and Voranda carry the Jedi to the Alberforce. Thankfully, the stormtroopers’ blaster fire seemed to be more concentrated on the other ship. They finally reached Voranda’s ship and carried Master Olin aboard. Realizing that someone was missing, Padme glanced around. “Where’s R2?” she demanded. Anxiety over the missing droid gripped her.
Several beeps filled her with relief. Padme spotted the astromech droid near one of the ship’s system panels. “Looks like your droid managed to get to the Alberforce first,” Voranda said, as she and Bail eased Olin’s body onto a nearby cot. Then the red-haired woman checked the panel that R2 stood near. “And it has been checking the Alberforce’s systems. Smart little thing.”
Padme returned to the ship’s open hatch. Voranda stood behind her. Both women stared at the two fighters. “Do you know that man?” the younger woman asked. “The one fighting Lord Rasche? You seemed surprised to see him.”
A sigh left Voranda’s mouth. “I thought I knew him. Let’s get out of here.”
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Several Minutes Earlier . . .
It all seemed to be going wrong. Or so it seemed to Han, who sat inside the Javian Hawk’s cockpit. Anakin seemed to be fighting Darth Rasche from a defensive stance. Han suspected that the former Jedi Knight might not be used to fighting defensively, judging from how the latter seemed to be buckling under the Sith Lord’s aggression.
Han tried to shoot as many stormtroopers as he could, using one of the Hawk’s blaster cannons. Despite all of this, the Imperials’ numbers seemed to have increased. Which meant that Chewbacca might be in trouble. Sure enough, a roar filled the ship’s interior. Han quickly left the cockpit and grabbed a blaster rifle from the Hawk’s armory.
“What’s wrong?” a worried-looking Senator Dahlma demanded. “Why aren’t we leaving?”
Han glared at the older woman. “Because two of my friends are in trouble, lady! And we could have been out of here if you had not dropped that data chip!”
“How dare you!” the senator cried out in outrage. “How dare you insinuate that this is all my . . .”
Again, Chewbacca roared for help. Miss Colbert grabbed Han’s forearm. “Captain Solo, I believe that your friend needs your help.”
“Right.” Han shot one last glare at the senator and joined the Wookie at the boarding ramp. He saw the number of stormtroopers inside the hangar and muttered an oath. “Is it me or did the number of stormtroopers just got bigger?” He aimed his blaster rifle at a trooper about to shoot Anakin and fired.
Chewbacca retorted, “The number got bigger, while you were busy with the senator.”
Han ignored the taunt and continued firing. Despite the intensity of the battle, he could not help but marvel at the fighting skills demonstrated by the two Force users. He had seen Anakin practice with a lightsaber before. Yet, he had no idea of the degree of skills needed to wield the weapon in such a lethal manner. Both Anakin and Rasche move so fast that Han almost felt dizzy just watching them.
A third voice from behind demanded, “What’s going on? Do you need help?” Han turned around and found Senator Dahlma’s petite aide standing behind him, holding a blaster. She glanced past and stared at the two dueling men. “Set? He’s a Jedi?”
Han retorted, “Hey! Lady! Get back in the ship! We can handle this!”
Naturally, the stubborn woman refused. “You need all the help you can get, Captain! And I mean to provide it.” The Maldarian woman shot another glance at Anakin and Rasche, before she aimed her blaster at the nearest stormtrooper and fired.
The young Corellian opened his mouth to protest, but Chewbacca caught his gaze and shrugged. ’Why not?’ the Wookie’s expression seemed to say. Han observed Miss Colbert’s skill with a blaster and realized that she might proved to be useful, after all. Then his eyes caught sight of newcomers entering the hangar. One of them happened to be Voranda Sen. With the exception of the redhead, the others wore hooded cloaks that made it difficult for Han to identify them.
One of Voranda’s companions shouted something and threw back his hood. Han found himself staring at a handsome face twisted with rage. A blue lightsaber lit up. Han realized that the man must have been another former Jedi Knight. The man rushed toward Anakin and Rasche with blade in hand. Unfortunately, some of the stormtroopers began to fire at him.
“Who is that?” Chewbacca growled. “Another Jedi?”
Before Han could answer, Miss Colbert added, “I know him. He’s a former Jedi acquaintance of Set’s. We had met last night.” Her voice dropped to a decibel or two. “And apparently he was not the only former Jedi around.”
Detecting a slight dark undertone in the Maldarian woman’s voice, Han shot an anxious glance at Chewbaca. Poor Anakin had a lot to answer for . . . if they ever manage to get off this rock. Han opened his mouth to explain matters, when Miss Colbert let out a squeak. “What is it now?” he demanded.
“The senator’s data chip! Set must have dropped it.” Miss Colbert started down the boarding ramp.
“Hey!” Han reached out to grab her, but the Maldarian woman had moved too fast. As soon as she reached the end of the ramp, she dashed away from the ship. Han fumed at her recklessness. He could have killed her. Then she bent over to retrieve an object from the ground. A stormtrooper spotted her and aimed his blaster rifle at her. Han quickly swiveled his own weapon toward the trooper and shot the latter dead. Miss Colbert stood up and her eyes grew wide at the sight of the dead stormtrooper. Han cried, “C’mon lady! Get back here!”
Just as the Maldarian woman began to move, Han glanced to his left and saw a horrifying sight. Anakin laid flat on his back, with Rasche hovering above him with a lightsaber. Han quickly aimed his blaster at the Sith Lord. Before he could squeeze the trigger, Anakin sent the black-clad Rasche flying backwards. The Sith Lord landed several feet away from Miss Colbert.
“Run!” Han yelled at the young woman. The latter picked up her skirt and dashed toward the Hawk’s boarding ramp. The moment she reached Han and Chewbacca, the Corellian growled, “Hey lady! What in the hell did you think you were . . .?” Han’s rant remained incomplete, as a laser blast sailed inches above his head.
Miss Colbert exclaimed, “I had to retrieve the data chip, Captain Solo. It is vital to . . .”
“Well, give her the damn chip, while Chewie and I continue this fight!”
“What about Set?”
Han glanced at his partner. The latter’s fight with Darth Rasche seemed to have resume. A quick glance at Voranda’s skiff revealed that the Alberforce seemed to be making its way out of the hangar.
Chewbacca growled, “They’re getting away!”
A sigh left Han’s mouth, as his gaze returned to his friend and the Sith Lord. “Yeah, and I wish we could be doing the same.”
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Not long after his green lightsaber clashed with Rasche’s red one, Anakin realized that too many years had passed since he last fought with a lightsaber. Either that or his former Jedi colleague’s skills have improved over the years.
Anakin quickly blocked a near fatal blow delivered by his opponent. Yes, Romulus . . . or Rasche - as he was now called - had certainly improved his fighting skills. Although Romulus Wort had been considered one of the finest lightsaber duelists of his generation, he had never been able to defeat Anakin. The latter feared that moment seem destined to arrive. Palpatine had certainly trained Rasche well. And hunting down Jedi Knights and Masters over the past decade had certainly helped.
A red blade slashed downward, missing Anakin’s head by millimeters. Realizing that he had allowed himself to be distracted by his thoughts, Anakin quickly cleared his mind and focused his attention upon his opponent. He noticed that Rasche had not abandoned the Djem So Form after all of these years. Unfortunately for Anakin, he seemed to have forgotten. From the moment his blade had met Rasche’s, Anakin found himself using his former master’s fighting style - the Soresu Form - to defend himself. A fighting style of which he had a lot less experience than Obi-Wan.
Anakin immediately sensed an attack aimed at his legs. He quickly utilized the Sai maneuver - a Force-assisted jump to evade the attack. Frustration and anger marred Rasche’s handsome countenance. Anakin began to wonder if his use of the Soresu Form might prove to be successful after all. He certainly seemed to be do . . .
The woman materialized in his line of vision, taking Anakin by surprise. She appeared to be a petite woman that wore a deep blue cloak. At first, he had assumed she was Igraine Colbert. But a brief movement of her head revealed a face that reminded him of . . . Padme? Was that . . .? A booted foot kicked Anakin squarely in the chest, knocking him against a stack of barrels.
Anakin fell upon the ground and one barrel struck his skull. His lightsaber tumbled out of his hand. Feeling slightly dazed, he barely saw a red lightsaber blade hovering above him. “At last!” Rasche growled with triumph. “When that spacer had spotted Senator Dahlma leaving Maldare on your ship, I never thought I would finally get my revenge!”
Spacer? On Maldare? A handsome, dissipated face flashed in Anakin’s mind. Mako Spince! The thought of the Corellian smuggler finally cleared Anakin’s mind. As Rasche’s blade slashed down to strike him, he retrieved his lightsaber using the Force and blocked the Sith Lord’s attack. Then he sent Rasche flying backwards and away from him. Anakin quickly sprang to his feet. Several stormtroopers began firing at him. He deflected their shots with ease, as he raced toward the Javian Hawk’s boarding ramp. Before he could reach it, Rasche’s form landed between him and the ramp.
“This isn’t over, Skywalker,” Rasche declared menacingly. “At least not yet.” His red blade illuminated and he swung it at Anakin. The latter quickly blocked Rasche’s blow and the duel continued.
Once more, Anakin found himself using the Soresu Form in defense of Rasche’s continuing attacks. Yet, he also noticed something different. The Sith Lord’s energy seemed to be waning. Just as it had when they used to duel against each other in the Jedi Temple’s training hall. Then it finally happened. For a millisecond, his opponent hesitated. Anakin took the opportunity to perform a Jung Ma spin before shifting his fighting style to the Djem So Form. After that he held nothing back.
Utilizing deliberate anger and coldness, Anakin relentlessly went on the attack. On and on he pressed, forcing Rasche to switch to the defensive Soresu Form. The Sith Lord proved to be even less effective with this fighting style than he. Like a hunter stalking his prey, Anakin sensed Rasche’s exhaustion. And his own opportunity. The Sith Lord allowed his guard to drop for the second time. In one swift moment, Anakin executed the Cho Mai maneuver and chopped off both of Rasche’s hands.
The Sith Lord’s eyes widened in shock, as he fell to his knees. Anakin neatly caught the other man’s lightsaber and placed the blades of both weapons at Rasche’s neck. Just as he had done to Count Dooku, eleven years ago. The anger he had utilized to defeat the Sith Lord continued to flow within him. All he had to do was . . .
Dooku’s decapitated hands fell upon the deck of the Invisible Hand’s general quarters. “Good Anakin, good!” Chancellor Palpatine’s voice rang with pure delight. “I knew you could do it. Kill him!” The last words came out as a cold murmur. Both Anakin and Dooku stared at the politician. “Kill him, now!”
Confusion now reigned within the young Jedi Knight’s chest. “I shouldn’t . . .” he began.
This time, Palpatine coldly barked, “Do it!” As if by reflex, Anakin neatly severed Dooku’s head.
A shuddering sigh escaped from Anakin’s mouth. Then he stared at the frightened Sith Lord and deactivated both lightsabers. “No!” he cried fiercely to himself. “Not this time! Not again.” He tossed aside Rasche’s lightsaber and rushed toward the Hawk’s boarding ramp. The remaining stormtroopers fired at him. Chewbacca fired back. So did the Javian Hawk’s turret gun, thanks to Han.
Once he and the Wookie managed to safely board the Haw, Anakin brushed past the two Maldarian women and headed toward the cockpit. “Han!” he bellowed. “Now would be a good time to get out of here!”
The young Corellian needed no further words. Han steered the Javian Hawk toward the hangar’s opening. By the time Anakin sat down in the co-pilot’s seat, the Hawk left the hangar and zoomed into the atmosphere above Worlport.
END OF CHAPTER SEVENTEEN