biubiubiu~
Jedi Knights can deflect blaster bolts with their lightsabers.
Sith Warriors? Yeah, they can too.
But cannon's firepower? A bit much for you~
Watching the enemy open fire with a blaster at Darth Maul, Qui-Gon deflected the shots, shielding himself and Obi-Wan.
Then, with a leap over the dune where the duel was raging, he hopped on his eopie and sped off.
That was fast.
Way more exciting than the trip here.
Lightsaber in hand, Qui-Gon watched the dust trail vanish into the distance, a little stunned.
A bit disappointed, too. Sith and Jedi were supposed to settle things when they met. Why run?
He picked up the unconscious Obi-Wan, carried him back to the ship, and gently shook him awake.
"Wake up. We're heading home."
"Huh?"
Obi-Wan jolted awake, still on edge. "Master, where's that horn-headed guy?"
Qui-Gon pointed into the distance. "Ran off. Faster than a tooka."
Obi-Wan felt a pang of regret. His skills weren't sharp enough, he'd been kicked down too easily.
"Master, I think... I still have a lot to learn."
Qui-Gon placed a reassuring hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "Don't be too hard on yourself."
"Even I had a bit of trouble with that one. Sith always travel in pairs, master and apprentice. They're notoriously dangerous."
A few comforting words helped, but deep down, Obi-Wan still stung from the defeat.
He silently vowed to train harder and never be humiliated again.
"Qui-Gon! Obi-Wan! Are you both alright?"
Padmé hurried over, followed by a young, eager Anakin, the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, and her handmaidens.
"We're fine. Let's head to Coruscant first. The Council needs to know what happened."
Padmé nodded. "Alright."
The ship lifted off from Tatooine, angling toward the gleaming planet of Coruscant in the distance.
Back on the desert planet, Darth Maul emerged from the dunes where he'd been hiding, watching the ship disappear into the sky.
He returned to his own vessel, flipped on the power, and settled into the cockpit.
With practiced ease, he loaded up a game console and began his latest obsession… holo-gaming.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
The journey to Coruscant stretched on. Without a hyperspace wormhole, superluminal travel took time.
They'd need to stop at a mid-point planet for supplies.
But the rest of the trip was smooth… no further attacks. Almost as if Darth Maul had been a random encounter.
Along the way, Anakin couldn't stop staring at Padmé.
"Padmé, you're so beautiful."
"Padmé, what's your favorite thing?"
"Padmé, I'm going to marry you when I grow up."
"Padmé, what kind of wedding do you want?"
Padmé didn't mind the endless questions. She answered them patiently, treating them like the innocent curiosities of a little boy.
And Anakin listened. He set goals. He decided to study hard.
For that, he needed the best teacher.
C-3PO wasn't just a chatterbox, he was a walking database, filled with knowledge Anakin could soak up.
And while he was at it, Anakin picked up a few games from the droid's archives.
Highclaw's Galactic Survival Series. Looked fun.
Anakin, gifted in the Force, possessed a mind that absorbed knowledge like a sponge and reflexes that left ordinary children in the dust.
His instincts hummed with certainty, this game was special. It held something he needed.
But.
He had no credits.
Couldn't afford an account.
So sad.
He knew better than to ask Padmé or Qui-Gon. They were traveling discreetly, on serious business.
So he did the only thing he could, he studied.
The sight of him, brow furrowed in concentration, made Padmé smile. Such a serious little face.
Later, in her quarters, that smile lingered.
Her handmaiden and occasional body double noticed. "My lady, what's made you so happy?"
"That boy, Anakin. He says he's studying hard so he can marry me one day."
The handmaiden laughed softly. "Well, you are quite captivating, Your Highness."
"Oh, he's just a child. He'll forget all about it in a year or two."
They shared a few more lighthearted words before settling in for the night, the weight of their mission waiting at Coruscant's doorstep.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Meanwhile, on Naboo...
Between system updates and bug fixes, Garfield found time to test his Terrorcons.
Using the Trade Federation's endless waves of droid fighters, he measured their combat efficiency.
The results were decisive.
The Terrorcons cut through the droids like fire through dry grass. Within three minutes, the battlefield was silent.
"A slaughter." observed the Governor, a Batwing in a tiny sweater, flanked by his squadron of miniature Batlings.
They'd come to witness the carnage and left with a newfound respect for their master's creations.
Earlier, after Qui-Gon's hasty departure, Garfield had sent word to Palpatine.
The message was simple, Qui-Gon escaped by shuttle. Destination unknown.
If you want them, find them yourself.
Darth Maul, meanwhile, had been holed up in his ship for three days, sustained only by the Force.
When he finally came to, he set a course for Naboo, ate something, and collapsed into sleep.
His master, Palpatine, waited in vain for word from his apprentice.
Instead, what arrived at Coruscant was Padmé's shuttle, requesting docking clearance.
The landing platform welcomed them.
From there, a speeder whisked Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Anakin through the glittering city to the Jedi Temple.
Anakin had never seen anything like it.
The spires reached for the heavens.
The stone seemed alive with purpose. His connection to the Force whispered to him… Here. Stay here. Your future is here.
But things didn't go as he'd hoped.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had chosen to keep certain things to themselves, including Garfield's claim that Palpatine was a Sith Lord.
And the Council... the Council had their own concerns.
They doubted the Sith had truly returned.
And they saw something in Anakin, something that stirred an old, dangerous prophecy.
A prophecy of a Chosen One who would bring the Jedi to ruin.
They refused to train him.
Qui-Gon's request was denied.
Elsewhere, Palpatine moved quickly.
Padmé's unexpected arrival threw his plans into flux. He couldn't reach his apprentice now.
Instead, he'd adapt. He greeted her personally, offered her accommodations befitting a queen, and escorted her through the political labyrinth of the Senate.
But the fix was already in.
Naboo's fate had been sealed behind closed doors. Padmé's pleas fell on deaf ears.
Disheartened, she returned to her quarters.
There, she found Anakin, also bruised by the Council's rejection. Two souls, both told no by forces larger than themselves.
They sat together.