Always in Motion is the Future I: A Star Wars AU Story

Chapter XIV

The control panel of the tandem N-1 flashed and beeped as the starfighter ascended into space. Anakin and Aayla rapidly attempted to override the ill-implemented autopilot with Artoo's help.

"Have you tried subverting the emergency override to reset the system?" Aayla asked Artoo.

The astromech warbled a tentative, negative response, elaborating at length that things could go very badly very quick if he did that.

"Well, we don't have much choice droid, so if you could please--"

"Aayla!" Anakin exclaimed, "I've getting a reading! It's the droid battleship!"

"What?!"

"The autopilot is taking us straight towards it! The rest of the pilots are fighting outside it!"

Aayla's eyes widened in horror; they were flying straight into a battle, and from what she had gathered from Quinlan and Qui-Gon, it could just as easily be called a slaughter in the making.

"Artoo, get to work on the override now!" Aayla demanded.

The droid immediately went to work interfacing with the N-1's weapon systems as Anakin went over the controls to determine how much he could do in his limited circumstances.

Blaster fire lanced across the void of space in bursts of red from the vulture droids and green from the Naboo, the former overwhelming the latter in great numbers. Aayla exhaled in frustration at the situation; she hated feeling this helpless in a situation when there was work that needed to be done and lives that needed to be saved. For now she rested her hands on the turret controls, waiting for the instant that they were in her control so she could blast away at the vulture droids.

*

Quinlan, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sliced and feinted in Maul's direction, each time missing, for the Zabrak warrior was as agile as he was deadly, his dual blades cutting close to their bodies every time they drew too close. All four pushed into the reactor room of Theed palace, giant columns of accelerated plasma rocketing through their tubes, into power converters and powering the vast building. Qui-Gon found some slight irony in the fact that the very resource that had essentially kicked off this conflict now was in abundance all around them, in excess enough for the Naboo and the Neimoidians to negotiate a deal.

Now here the four stood, entrenched now no longer in a mere battle of factions, but a war of generations; light and dark, good and evil, with unforeseeable repercussions that would affect the galaxy however the balance of fate swung.

But there was no time to think of these. Now was the time to fight.

Qui-Gon cut high, Obi-Wan low as Quinlan circled behind Maul who blocked the first two's blows. Pushing back, snarling, the Sith leapt over and behind Quinlan, slashing wildly, causing him to fall away between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. This maneuver left him teetering on the edge of a control platform, and severely restricted in terms of movement.

For the briefest moment, both sides regarded the other, letting their eyes speak for them. No, there would be no respite here. Only total victory or death.

Obi-Wan, thinking quickly, feinted a charge to Maul's right, causing him to flinch into the way of Quinlan and Qui-Gon's charging green blades. The Zabrak quickly leapt backwards onto the singular catwalk spanning the metal abyss below their feet, regaining his footing.

The three Jedi, in unison, jumped across the pit to surround Maul on both sides, Quinlan on one, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on the other. The three brought their blades down in unison as Maul raised his to deflect them, causing him to grit his teeth at the strain.