Chapter Fourteen

Gunships came down around them, many Jedi and soldiers jumping out before their rides had even hit the ground. Chewie grabbed Denali's hand although his eyes squeezed shut in pain. She held him in her arms like a protective mother, his blood mixing in with her own. One of the soldiers approached them and extended his white-armored hand. His face was hidden underneath a helmet, but Denali knew he was working for the Republic. He wouldn't have arrived in one of the Republic's gunships with other Jedi and his buddies if not.

"Come with me, I'll take you to a medic." he told the two. Denali handed Chewie over to him, the young boy's hand still tightly wrapped around her hands. He looked at her with pleading eyes, obviously not wanting to go with the trooper without his master. Denali returned the look so he knew she was wanting to come with him badly.

"Please, take my Padawan to safety. I will stay and fight with the others."

"As you wish." the trooper said, carrying Chewie away.

"Master-"

"Don't worry, I'll see you when this is over." Denali reassured him, then ran off to join the battle. Grabbing the nearest free lightsaber from one of the fallen Jedi masters, she ignited the blade, which happened to be blue, and sliced the closest battle droid in half. The lightsaber cut cleanly through the metal, melting the solid and turning the cut edges into goo. Her boots thudded against the ground as she ran.

Denali was sure she was quite a scary sight to behold as she sprinted across the dusty, dry battlefield, soaked in blood, as if she was an un-dead monster that had come back to life. Looking around as Denali fought, she searched for Obi-Wan and Anakin. Where were they? She had seen them just moments before, they couldn't have just disappeared into thin air.

"Denali! Get down!" she suddenly heard Anakin shout. He grabbed her around her waist, pulling Denali to the ground just as a projectile shot right over their heads. It zoomed over them, smashing and exploding against the farthest wall. They both got to their feet quickly, their lightsabers swinging in a deadly manner. Every droid that crossed their path didn't stand a chance. They were always either sliced into pieces or stabbed in the head or chest. Not a single one survived.

Denali continued to look as they battled, trying to locate her secret husband. But he was no where to be found. As she glanced around the field, a terrifying sight met her eyes. Sitting on the ground, eyes filled with tears, a Mandelorian helmet in his grasp, was Boba Fett. Why was he out here in the middle of a deadly fight? Where was his-

Suddenly, a horrible thought came to Denali's mind.

"I'm going to go find Obi-Wan." Anakin announced over the sound of battle. She nodded, and fought her way over to Boba's side. He cried, sobbing, as he held his dead father's helmet in his hands. Denali knelt down next to him, resting on her knees. She put her hands on his shoulder as it shook with each sob he let out. It broke Denali's heart to see him like this, so young, so hurt, in so much pain.

"I'm sorry, Boba." she told him. He dropped his father's helmet and wrapped his small arms around her waist, hugging the jedi master. She  hugged him back, knowing how hard it was to lose a parent, a loved one, someone who had raised you for all of your short, but still important, life. Denali pitied him, knowing how difficult it would be for him to adjust without his father to protect him.

"Please...." he whimpered. "Take me with you. Don't leave me."

"I won't, Boba. I swear." Denali told him. He jumped onto her back as she stood up and she locked her arms under his knees to give him more support. No way she was going to let him fall off now. Denali searched the crowded arena for the nearest gunship and saw Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme boarding one. Sprinting over to them, she shouted to get there attention.

"Wait!"

That certainly got their attention. She could sense Obi-Wan's relief as he and herself made eye-contact, then confusion as he saw the young boy resting on her back. He'd find out soon enough. Denali continued to run, finally stopping to take a breath as one of the troopers helped her up into the ship. Denali set Boba down as the ship began to lift off, flying up and out of the stadium.

"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked. She nodded. He then looked down at Boba as the child clung to Denali's leg tightly, small tears still rolling down the poor boy's cheeks over the loss of Jango.

'His father didn't make it.' Denali thought to Obi-Wan. He nodded in understanding as they both grabbed onto one of the railings that hung above them. Wind howled around the aircraft as Denali put her free hand on Boba's shoulder, making sure that he felt at least a little safe around the group.

"Follow that speeder." Anakin told the driver. Denali stretched her neck to look through the viewport, trying to figure out what or who they had decided to follow. Obi-Wan put his hand on her shoulder, and informed the woman as to what was going on. They were follwing Dooku. They were going to capture him, if possible. Denali mentally smirked. She had known Count Dooku was a bad guy from the start. He had never seemed very peaceful to her in the first place.

Suddenly, the gunship shook. Boba gasped as his grip loosened around Denali's leg. Padme shouted in fear as the two lost their balance and began to fall out of the ship. Denali's eyes widened as she reached for Boba, he in turn reached for hers. She leaned forward, letting go of her railing, the only thing that would've kept the jedi attached to the ship, to safety. She could see the fear in his eyes, sense it in the air around her. At that one moment, he had the exact same look her mother did when she was shot in the back, the blank, scared expression that didn't know what was going to happen next.

"No!" Denali shouted as two hands pulled her back, back into the ship, away from Boba. Anakin and Obi-Wan's grips on her arms was tight, too tight for her to escape from. Denali watched in horror as Boba hit the sandy ground, hard, rolling across the small dune below and slowly fading in the distance. "No! We have to go back!"

"We can't!" Anakin shouted over the sound of the wind.

"But I promised him! I promised him I wouldn't leave him behind! I can't-"

"We need you, Denali! We can't face Dooku without you!" Obi-Wan joined in.

"But what about the Senator as well?" she asked.

"Padme is strong and smart. She can take care of herself and Boba." Anakin told Denaki. She was silent for a moment, but took a deep breath and nodded. She didn't want to make a big deal out of this. He wasn't dead, she would've sensed that in the Force. Deanli would've felt his soul leaving. Hopefully he could forgive her over the fact that she would be going on without him.

"Alright, fine." Denali stated, swinging her arms ever so slightly, causing the two men to let go of her. She didn't like it when they were both touching her. It felt awkward and....almost scandelous. Denali knew that Anakin had feelings for her, but the sensation wasn't mutual. And Denali was secretly married to Obi-Wan, so Anakin needed to keep his hands off. But Obi and his wife couldn't tell him that, making it even more awkward than it should've been.

What in the name of the Universe had Denali gotten herself into?

She could sense the two looking at eachother as she crossed her arms, looking at the ground. Denali secretly hoped that the ship would get hit again, causing her to fly out and rescue Boba. But Obi-Wan and Anakin must've sensed her thoughts, because they both immediately grabbed onto Denali's arms again. She glared at them, but then looked back at the floor of the ship.

They landed a minute or two later, the three of them quickly exited the spacecraft, their lightsabers ignited as they entered Dooku's main hangar. What happened next would haunt them forever, becoming a nightmare that would always take over their dreams.