O. Kenobi | A Moment of Peace

Part Eight

Well, this didn't go as planned.

Obi-Wan's covert operation to rescue the Duchess from her imprisonment was going smoothly until the ship that Anakin was in charge of obtaining seemed to be in a less than ideal condition. Anakin was already in one of the pilots' seats when Obi-Wan and the Duchess arrived with Death Watch hot on their heels. Obi-Wan sat beside Anakin while the Duchess took a seat behind him. He looked at the state of the ship and let out a frustrated groan.

"Anakin, what is this heap of junk!"

Anakin stopped what he was doing to fully face his former master. Unlike Obi-Wan, who was now sporting red and black Mandalorian armor, Anakin was still in his civvies. A look of annoyance was plastered on the young man's face.

"It's all I could get off the book since we're still, ya know, fugitives!"

Anakin let out an aggravated huff before returning his attention to the ship.

"We have to contact my sister for help. She'll send reinforcements."

The Duchess' words caused Obi-Wan to pause as Anakin continued to work on the ship.

"Who's your sister?"

Before the Duchess could answer Obi-Wan's question, Anakin finally got the ship to take off. They weren't in the clear yet though as Death Watch had locked missiles on them. The beeping from the center console continued to speed up as buttons flashed around the cockpit. Anakin and Obi-Wan share one last solemn look, knowing what was about to happen. And it had been going so well.

"Brace yourself, Duchess."

The ship rumbled as explosions went off. Anakin attempted to keep the ship stable while Obi-Wan checked the condition of the ship. Obi-Wan let out a heavy sigh and hit the center console. Everything is shot.

"Let's get out of here."

Anakin and the Duchess followed behind Obi-Wan who opened the cargo door to escape. Obi-Wan began to walk out onto the platform, but then the ship began spinning uncontrollably, causing him to grip onto the ship for support.

"Obi-Wan!"

He turned his head to see both Anakin and the Duchess lose their balance and fall. Obi-Wan reached out with his free hand and caught the Duchess arm, but Anakin was too far out of his reach. He continued to tumble until he had fallen off the platform entirely.

"Anakin!"

Obi-Wan tried to hold on as the ship continued spinning, but his grip eventually slipped and the two of them were sent plummeting to the ground below them. He landed on his side and attempted to roll over, but had to stop and cover his head as he heard the ship explode above him. Obi-Wan groaned, his ears were ringing due to the explosion. Turning his head, he saw Anakin, unconscious and stuck under debris. Obi-Wan lifted his arm and pulled the debris off of him using the force. Using his tired muscles, he attempted to get up, wanting to help Anakin. He needed to know he was okay. But his knees buckled under him and he fell once again. Obi-Wan pounded the ground with his right hand out of frustration.

Come on Obi-Wan, get up. Anakin needs you.

But before he could try again, Obi-Wan heard footsteps in the distance. He turned his head to the other side and not only spotted a band of Death Watch soldiers, but also Darth Maul. He blinked once, believing his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"No, it can't be."

He mustered up the last of his energy and got to his feet. His legs were shaky beneath him, but he managed to maintain his stance. He grabbed his saber from his hip and ignited it as Maul drew nearer. Obi-Wan let out a pained sigh, preparing for a fight. Maul raised his hand and Obi-Wan's body was raised off the ground. His saber fell as his hands came to claw at his neck as he gasped for air.